


Stripped Bare

by Actual_Trash_Can



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Pennywise (IT), Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Multi, Nudists, Oral Sex, Porn, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Rimming, Smut, Summer, Summer Vacation, Vacation AU, hotel au, resort au, watching porn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2019-10-29 22:30:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17816723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Actual_Trash_Can/pseuds/Actual_Trash_Can
Summary: Eddie gets an offer from his company to work in Barbados over the summer. Beautiful weather, all expenses paid trip, and a stay in a suite at one of the most highly rated resorts in the world. How could he say no?Unfortunately, Eddie soon realizes there were a lot of reasons to say no. His skin doesn't take kindly to the harsh sun, his suite ends up being the size of a shoe box, and, oh yeah, it's also a nudist resort.





	1. Chapter 1

Dear Eddie Kaspbrak,

Having you work for us at our Portland location for the past five years has been an enriching experience. As sad as we would be to see you go, we must ask if you would be interested in working over the summer at our Barbados location, as it appears we will be short staffed. Your entire trip would be covered, as well as your stay in one of our suites for the duration of your work period. If you’re interested, please let us know as soon as possible.

Included is a PDF file with the additional information about our Barbados location.

-  Wise Resort and Spa

 

Eddie reread the e-mail three times as he rubbed sleep out of his bleary eyes. Checking his e-mail first thing in the morning was a habit that didn’t result in the best retention. His brain struggled to put together what he’d just read in layman’s terms, AKA, early morning terms. His company wanted him to work in Barbados… and they were going to pay for it? There had to be a catch, but in his current state it seemed like the universe had finally taken pity on him. A vacation in Barbados was exactly what he needed to cut through the boring routine that had become his life. Granted, he’d be working the whole time, but he’d be doing the same thing if he stayed in Portland so why not do it wrapped in the warmth of the Caribbean sun instead? Without over thinking it, as Eddie is prone to doing, he shot off a confirmation e-mail and chucked his phone back on to the pillow next to him, burying himself deeper in his comforters to daydream of new desires.

 

 

The flight was god awful. Eddie ended up squished between a woman with a screaming baby, and an older man who needed to squeeze by Eddie to go to the bathroom every 10 minutes. Eddie was just starting to question if taking this job had even been worth it when he chanced a glance out the window. Past the thin haze of clouds was an expanse of the bluest water he’d ever seen, glittering as the sun cast down on it. It was like a completely different world from Portland, and a completely different planet from the small town he’d grown up in. It felt like a physical disconnect from the life he’d lived up until now.

The flight attendant’s voice crackled out of the speakers announcing their beginning decline to the ground. As if everyone around him had synced up to his newfound feeling of freedom, the baby beside him finally settled down, and the man on his other side controlled his bladder for the remainder of the flight. Twenty minutes later and they were touching down.

 

The entrance to the resort was eerily similar to what Eddie had ingrained in his brain alongside a feeling of dread, only the backdrop was entirely different. Bright green palm leaves shook in the wind, rustling the trunks they sat upon with dangerous vigor. The sun was already beating down against Eddie’s skin relentlessly, but it also shone out from behind the giant sign announcing the resort’s name. It was oddly beautiful, something so familiar yet so new. It was an invigorating feeling.

Eddie walked into the main building with a bit of a pep in his step, confident enough as he strode up to the front counter and greeted the friendly face behind it.

“Hi, uh, I’m supposed to start working here this week? I’m the transfer from Portland.”

The man behind the counter smiled wide, a friendly grin that revealed rows of perfect white teeth nestled between full lips and dimpled cheeks. All that combined with smooth dark skin and defined muscles nearly had Eddie swooning before he could respond to the guy’s next comment.

“Eddie! We’ve been excited for you to arrive. I’m Mike Hanlon, I’m your supervisor.” he extended a hand towards Eddie. Mike’s hand completely engulfed Eddie’s own and he’d be lying if he said it didn’t send a little jolt down his spine.

“I’m a bit busy right now,” Mike continued, clearly not having noticed Eddie’s flush. “But Bill over here can show you around.”

Mike clapped a hand on the shoulder of another form, a body that Eddie had somehow completely missed during the greeting. He had his back turned and was busying himself with something behind the counter, but at the mention of his name, he gave Mike his full attention.

The man was cute. Like, next door neighbor crush cute. Was Eddie going to fall for every semi good looking employee at this resort? So far it was two for two, so the odds weren’t in his favor (or were, depending how you look at it).

Cute neighbor boy, _Bill,_ Eddie corrects himself, stepped out from behind the desk and slung his arm around Eddie, completely bypassing the courteous approach Mike had taken.

“Alright fresh meat, let’s get you acquainted.”

Bill was tall, and Eddie struggled a bit to keep up with his pace and pull his suitcases behind him at the same time. When Bill noticed, he removed his arm from around Eddie’s shoulders in favor of picking up both suitcases and carrying them along as if they weighed nothing. Eddie wanted to be embarrassed about the difference in strength, but Bill gave him no time, already back to rambling on about the do’s and don'ts of the job. Eddie realizes he should be listening, knows he’s probably missing out on important information, but watching the way the muscles in Bill’s back tensed up as he walked was much more favorable.

When he’d finally finished ogling his new co-worker, they’d arrived in front of a small wooden door.

“37B.” Eddie reads aloud.

Bill nods, putting down one of Eddie’s suitcases so he can fish a card out of his pocket. He swipes it through the lock on the door and a little green light announces their permission to enter. Pushing open the door with his shoulder as he grabs Eddie’s suitcase once again, Bill welcomes Eddie to his room.

“So, this is where you’ll be staying for the next three months.”

Eddie takes in the room around him. It’s tinier than he’d expected, definitely not the ‘suite’ he’d been promised, but it was cozy. There was a small bed pressed up against the nearest wall and sliding glass doors that opened up into the courtyard. A small dresser and closet decorated the room, with not much else to show for. The adjoining bathroom held a shower bath and a toilet close enough to the sink that you could shit and wash your hands at the same time. _Quaint_ , Eddie thought.

“This is the employee floor, so you won’t run into any guests while you’re down here. My room is just down the hall.” Bill supplied.

“Oh, are you also a transfer from out of town?” Eddie asked curiously.

“Nah, I just like staying here. I work such early shifts it’s easier than making the commute every morning, so boss man lets me stay here when there’s empty rooms, which there almost always are.”

The words from the e-mail ring back in Eddie’s mind. _Short staffed_ , they’d said. The resort seemed pretty busy when he got here, so why would they have a problem with employing people? Unless the management was terrible. Oh no, what if the management was terrible? What if Eddie was stuck working with horrible people for the duration of the summer? He should have taken more time before responding to the e-mail, should have done more research, should have read reviews and called around and-

“Wanna head down to the pool deck?” Bill interrupted Eddie’s snowballing thoughts.

“Sure.” Eddie managed, giving Bill a tight-lipped smile as he tried to swallow down his anxiety.

They left Eddie’s suitcases in his room and made their way down to the deck. Bill finally mentioned what his job was, he was the lifeguard, meaning him and Eddie would be working the same area. Eddie was relieved to hear that he’d at least know someone on his first day.

That relief left his body the second they stepped out on to the deck.

 **Penis.** That’s **a** **penis.** That’s definitely, undoubtedly, **a penis.**

“Dude,” Bill nudges Eddie’s shoulder. “Rule number one, don’t stare.”

Eddie tries to avert his attention but lands on a pair of breasts. He averts it again, this time it’s lean tan muscles leading down to, yep, another penis. Another penis by the bar, a pair of breasts climbing up the pool later, an ass bending over to- Nope. Nope nope nope. Eddie squeezed his eyes shut as panic began taking over his body. What was going on?

A warm hand circled around Eddie’s bicep and turned him around, guiding him for a few steps until the temperature changed around him and noise became distant.

“Uh, you can open your eyes now.” Bill’s voice says, confusion evident but no judgement present.

Eddie only dares to peek one eye open, keeps it squinted in case he needs to shut the world out again. But all he sees is the ugly upholstery he’s used to seeing every day, green and brown leaf print that covers the majority of the furniture in the lobbies of The Wise. So, he eases his other eye open, glances around him in an attempt to re-orient himself, and then settles his gaze back on Bill.

Bill is sporting a subtle smirk he’s clearly trying to fight down, but there’s also distinct worry in his eyes.

“Well that’s the most dramatic reaction I’ve witnessed so far, sure you have the stomach for this job?”

Eddie’s brain short circuits.

“What job!?” Eddie squeaks.

All the humor is gone from Bill’s face now.

“Um, are you serious dude? This is a nudist resort. You knew that… right?” The hope laced in Bill’s question leaves Eddie’s heart hurting.

No. He didn’t know that. How was he supposed to know that! Isn’t that the kind of information you tell someone before offering them a-

Eddie can almost feel the ground disappear beneath him when he realizes it.

The PDF file.

He never read it.

The “additional information” Eddie decided to forgo reading. Because how different could one resort be from the next? _Apparently, very._

Eddie had been silent long enough that Bill flagged down Mike from across the room. A soothing voice was coaxing Eddie back into this plane of existence, and once he was finally able to clue into some of the words being said he also felt a hand settled low on his back.

“-ecause if you need us to call someone or-”

“What?” Eddie interrupted Mike a bit too bluntly, watching Mike reel in relation to his tone.

“Sorry, I… What were you asking?” He recovered.

“You seemed a little zoned out there, I was just checking if you needed anything, or wanted us to call someone for you?”

Eddie blinked dumbly. He wanted to… help? Eddie’s old supervisor would have been yelling by this point. Eddie’s had enough panic attacks on the job to expect the worst once he pulls himself out of them. But Mike seemed to be genuine, and Bill was still wearing that worried expression he’d held previously.

“No, no, I’m fine.” Eddie nodded a bit too eagerly.

“Okay, if you’re sure… Well, hey, while I have you here, I have a bit of a favor to ask you.”

Bill’s ears seemed to also perk up at this, all attention on Mike.

“You wouldn’t happen to know any other employees from the Portland area who would be willing to transfer, would you? We just got word that one of our transfers quit last minute. We’d still be able to scrape by without her, but it would be a lot easier on all of us if we were a little less short handed around here.”

The answer was easy, Eddie really only had one co-worker in mind.

“Stanley Uris.” He blurted out, before thinking through his answer. Stan would never work at a nudist resort. But then again… If he didn’t know…

“Amazing! I’ll send in the request right away. Do you know him well? If you could talk to him for us, maybe put in a good word, that would be great. The last thing we need is another employee dropping out right under our noses.”

You could say that Eddie knew Stan well, if being best friends for the last 15 years counted. They’d stumbled into working for the same company purely by accident, going in for the same interview as a friendly competition and both coming out with a uniform and a name tag. It had been so exciting, finding out they were going to get to work together. It stayed exciting for approximately one week, until they discovered how terrible the job was. Well, the job itself wasn’t bad, but the environment was depressing, and the clientele was awful. Their boss wasn’t the worst man in the world, but he was stuffy and old and a bit too loud. It made Eddie skittish. He also had the sense of humor of rock, making any kind of playful banter completely null. Stan hated working there just as much as Eddie did, but they stayed there together out of solidarity.

So, yeah Eddie knew Stan well. And if there was anyone he needed in a time like this, it was Stan. But he’s not entirely sure how he would pull off convincing him to work at a place with naked people walking around.

“Is your co-worker going to be okay working here, what with…” To finish off his point, Bill gestured vaguely in the direction of the pool deck.

“Yeah, oh yeah, he’ll be fine.” Eddie tried to sound convincing. It didn’t work.

“Will _you_ be fine?” Bill asked, that little smirk creeping its way back into his features, still not unkind.

Eddie sighed but nodded along. “Yes. I’ll be fine. As long as, oh dear god, wait, don’t tell me employees need to be nude too!?” Eddie’s eyes widened comically as he felt dread pool in his stomach at the thought.

Bill’s laugh was warm. “No, we have uniforms.”

“Oh thank god.” Eddie breathed out, earning another laugh from Bill. He joined in this time, feeling himself lightening up just slightly under the presence of someone with a calmer mind.

 

Later that night, as Eddie was getting ready for bed, he played over conversation scenarios in his head. He could tell Stan the truth, but then there’s no way he’d come. He could lie, but then there’s no way he could live with himself, knowing he’d conned his best friend into something he’d never otherwise do. But if he were to just… omit the truth… That wouldn’t be so bad, would it? Besides, how many times had Stan tricked him into an uncomfortable situation? This could be payback for all the years of dragging Eddie to “a concert” (the Opera), “a casual hangout with friends” (a blind double date), or who could forget the “small family gathering” (IT WAS HIS AUNT’S WEDDING).

Before he could talk himself out of it, Eddie was pulling up his text conversation with Stan and shooting off a message, then slamming the phone face down on the counter as if it might be able to read through Eddie’s thoughts and judge him.

 

Eddie Kaspbrak:  
_I may have put your name in for a transfer today._

 

The response came in surprisingly fast.

 

Stanley Uris:  
**You did what now?**

Eddie Kaspbrak:  
_Come on, we could work together all summer like usual. You know you miss me._

Stanley Uris:  
**I’m sorry who is this**

Eddie Kaspbrak:  
_Ha Ha very funny. Seriously, Stan, this place is beautiful._

Technically, not a lie. It was beautiful if you just held your thumb over the nude bodies standing in front of the sunset.

 

Stanley Uris:  
**It’s Barbados, of course it is.**

Eddie Kaspbrak:  
_Soooo come enjoy it with me. It won’t be the same without you._

Stanley Uris:  
**Are there lizards?**  
  
Eddie Kaspbrak:  
_What_

Stanley Uris:  
**Lizards.  
Are there lizards there?**

Eddie Kaspbrak:  
_I haven’t seen a single lizard since I’ve been here._  
  
Stanley Uris:  
**Okay. As long as there aren’t any lizards.  
And as long as you admit that you can’t go a single day without me.**

Eddie Kaspbrak:  
_Seriously_  
  
Stanley Uris:  
**I mean, unless I’m reading this whole thing wrong and you actually don’t need me…**

Eddie Kaspbrak:  
_Fine._  
_I can’t go a single day without you._  
_You’re the light of my life, the yin to my yang, the sun shines out of your asshole._  
_So, are you in or what?_

Stanley Uris:  
**I’ve been in this whole time. They called me a few minutes before you texted. I’ve got a flight on Wednesday.**

Eddie Kaspbrak:  
_Fuck you very much Stanley_


	2. Chapter 2

“So yeah, she’s probably one of the most bad-ass people I’ve ever met.” Bill finished off his story with a thoughtful nod, as if he was lost in his own memories while recalling them. “I would not want to be on the wrong side of Beverly’s fury.” He explained as an after thought.

Eddie had been listening to Bill talk about his best friends for 10 minutes. Technically, they were on the job, but no one had flagged down Eddie yet and he welcomed the distraction from the naked bodies he still hadn’t gotten used to. Plus, it was cute the way Bill’s eyes lit up as he talked about his friends. Eddie secretly hoped he could be on that list one day.

“And then there’s Richie.” Bill started back up, a fond smile accompanying his words.

Eddie leaned against the lifeguard chair that they were both standing under and focused on the way Bill’s lips moved as he talked.

“He’s a huge fucking dork. I love him, but I mean that guy has a bigger comic book collection than anyone I’ve ever met. He also never shuts up, we call him Trashmouth because-”

As Bill continued describing his friend in great detail, Eddie found himself thinking about Stan. He felt kind of guilty that he’d tricked Stan into coming. He’d be arriving later that day and he had no idea what to expect. Eddie had been there for a few days now and, granted, it did get a little easier once you got into the habit of keeping direct eye-contact with everyone you meet, but it still wasn’t comfortable. Stan was going to hate it, was going to hate _him_.

“Anyway, they should be here soon, you’re gonna love them.”

“W-what?” Eddie stared at Bill dumbfounded. Clearly, he’d missed something important when he zoned out.

Bill just laughed, not taking any offense to Eddie’s spaciness.

“Richie and Bev, I mentioned earlier that they come here every year. I get an employee discount that extends to friends and family, so they usually spend the majority of the summer bothering me while I work.”

“Oh, that actually sounds kind of fun, having your best friends around.”

“It’s fun until the 3rd time Richie pretends to drown just to get me riled up.”

Eddie laughs at that visual, picturing a big dramatic scene ending with Bill stone-faced as he returns to his lifeguard post, now unnecessarily wet. The image is enough to make Eddie completely miss the new presence suddenly behind him.

“I hate you.”

Eddie recognized the monotone drawl immediately. He doesn’t turn around though, is too afraid to face Stan right away. Instead he keeps his gaze trailed on Bill who is flicking his eyes back and forth between Eddie and the face behind him, silently questioning the situation.

“You’re not gonna turn around?” Stan asks.

“Mmm, nope. I like it here.” Eddie responds matter-of-factly, planting his feet a little more firmly in place.

Bill’s confusion finally gets the best of him. He peeks around Eddie’s body slightly, addressing Stan directly as he introduces himself.

“Oh yeah, sorry, Bill this is Stan. Stan, Bill.” Eddie supplies without moving.

“Nice to meet you, I think?” Bill says hesitantly, checking Eddie’s face for confirmation.

“Don’t mind him. He’s just worried I’m gonna be mad that he tricked me into working at an all-you-can-ogle buffet for the summer.” Stan says.

“Are you?” Eddie asks.

Stan sighs, but Eddie could hear the smile when he spoke. “No, I’m not mad. Confused, maybe.”

The second Eddie had confirmation that he could let go of his anxiety, he was whirling around to face Stan and talking at the speed of light.

“Oh thank god because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to survive this summer without you here! I mean this is so weird, right? Like ‘excuse me sir can I have a towel’ oh yeah sure let me just wade through this sea of naked bodies to bring you a towel that you won’t actually use to cover anything up. And this can’t possibly be sanitary, right? How often do these patio chairs get cleaned? And the water, I mean how many people do you think have free-peed in there today alone? AND WHAT ABOUT BONERS!?”

Stan has his hands on Eddie’s arms before he could spiral any further. Stan chances a glance over at Bill and is surprised he’s still standing alongside them. He gives Bill a mental check-mark for being able to deal with Eddie’s neurosis and then turns his attention back to the task at hand.

“We’ll deal with it.” Stan says, his tone surprisingly convincing.

Eddie nods in agreement. “Okay, yeah, we’ll deal with it.” He repeats.

Having gotten that out of his system, and with the new presence of his best friend, Eddie actually sported a real smile for the first time since he’d arrived at the resort.

“Why are you here so early, by the way?” Eddie asks, once he realizes what time it is.

Stan shrugs. “They got me a direct flight.”

Eddie’s jealousy shows in the way his nose crinkles up. He didn’t get a direct flight.

Stan just smiles and opts to change the subject.

“So, our supervisor is hot.”

Bill and Eddie both agree embarrassingly fast, looking at each other afterwards and sharing a laugh.

 

 

Stan got a grasp on things considerably faster than Eddie did. A week and a half in and Eddie was still struggling with the environment, years of sexual repression making it hard to normalize it in his mind. Stan, on the other hand, had adopted a rather naturalistic approach.

“Bodies are not inherently sexual, Eddie.”

Eddie huffed out a groan in Stan’s direction. They were in the supply room grabbing towels for guests, Eddie taking a purposefully long time just to avoid going back out there.

“I know that, Stan.” Eddie bit back with no real bite.

“We’re born naked, it’s normal. None of these people are here for sex, just to enjoy their time in the freedom of their body.”

“It’s not _normal_ to see your neighbor, doctor, and teacher’s dick.”

“None of these people are your neighbors, doctors, or teachers. You don’t live here.” Stan challenged.

“You know what I mean!” Eddie rushed in response.

“Try and think of it this way, you’re never going to see these people again. So what if you know what Mr. Fraser’s dick looks like? In a few months it’s just going to be irrelevant information your brain stores away to be forgotten.”

Stan had a point. It’s not like Eddie was going to form any type of meaningful relationships with any of the guests. This was strictly professional, and the same way that you don’t remember every customer’s face, you also won’t remember every customer’s genitals.

“Are you about done folding those towels or do you need another minute?” Stan teased, nodding towards the small stack of towels he’d been folding and refolding to procrastinate for as long as possible.

“Yeah, I guess.” Eddie conceded, tucking the towels under his arm and following Stan out of the room.

They made their way back out to the deck and distributed towels to the guests who had requested them. Just as Eddie had handed the last two towels over to an older couple, he heard a voice calling him over.

A few seats over from where Eddie stood, a hand was waving at him. Being caught off guard, Eddie didn’t have time to concentrate on keeping his head eye level, and boy was that the biggest mistake of his life.

The man in question was unmistakably naked, that much wasn’t surprising given where they were, but what _was_ surprising was that he was _hot_. So far, Eddie had counted himself lucky that he hadn’t seen any guests that he found particularly appealing, but this guy changed that real fast. He was tall, Eddie could tell even though he was sitting down. He had long limbs that stretched out from his body in an almost lanky way, but it worked for him somehow. He was well defined but not obnoxiously so, and atop his head was an unruly mop of black hair that mimicked the dark happy trail that lead down to…

The biggest cock Eddie had ever seen in his young life.

Well, fuck. If he hadn’t been staring before, he definitely was now. How could someone be so big while flaccid? Eddie almost bypassed being turned on just to admire how impressive that length was.

“Excuse me?” The voice rang through the space again, bringing Eddie’s eyes up to meet the pair gazing towards him. He didn’t look like he’d noticed Eddie staring, but then again, maybe he was just being polite? Oh god, or what if he had noticed and now he was calling Eddie over to tell him off. No, this guy didn’t look like the type to chew Eddie’s head off.

Eddie kind of wanted him to chew his head off... But, in a sexy way.

“Sorry to interrupt your inner monologue, I was just wondering if you could get me something from the bar?”

Eddie’s throat was dry. Something from the bar sounds great right now. He could chug a gallon of water right on the spot and still be dehydrated. He realizes with a start that he still hasn’t said anything since being waved over and the guy was probably starting to wonder if Eddie was mute.

“Yes.”

Okay, great job Eddie. That’s a start. Now just continue with what you say every day.

“What can you get me.”

Nope, that’s not it.

The stranger’s eyebrows shot up, a smirk that had no business being so charming taking over his features.

“I don’t know, what do you want?”

Okay, so the stranger was smoother than Eddie could ever dream to be, but he was also teasing Eddie, and in any other circumstance he’d be peeved. But this wasn’t any other circumstance, and Eddie had to admit it was kind of endearing.

“What can I get you.” Eddie corrected himself, choosing to ignore the man’s last comment.

He chuckles. It’s deep and throaty and Eddie wants to swallow it whole.

“Just a virgin sex on the beach, please.”

“You’re a virgin!?” Eddie blurted out, before his brain could catch up with his mouth.

The stranger seemed to stall for a moment, before his grin grew even wider than before.

“Well, I haven’t had sex on _the beach_ , if that’s what you’re asking. Too much sand getting in too many places.” He played along.

Eddie didn’t want to think about this man’s ‘places’. Eddie wanted to die.

He decided quickly that the only way he would get out of this interaction with at least some of his dignity left intact was if he left as soon as possible. Clearly his mouth couldn’t be trusted, and neither could his eyes, apparently, since they were already wandering back down the man’s body on their own accord.

Eddie forced his eyes to the ground and mumbled a quick “I’ll be right back with your drink.” Which he’s surprised to get out without some sort of slip up. His feet were carrying him away before he even got an answer. He was headed in the wrong direction, not even relatively close to the bar, but he couldn’t get himself to turn back around. Now that he’d put distance between him and the hot stranger, his heart had started beating irregularly fast, and it wasn’t because of a panic attack this time.

Eddie flung the door to the storage room open, startling one of his co-workers who was exiting the room. Eddie gave him a meek smile, a “sorry for almost beheading you with the door” apology. The co-worker, who Eddie wouldn’t be able to name even if he cared to try, just returned the smile and passed by Eddie.

He only waited a few seconds before slamming the door shut behind him and slumping against the surface, face pressed into the hard wood. He groaned audibly as he let the embarrassment finally swallow him whole.

“Poor Jack is going to be traumatized now.”

Eddie just about jumped out of his skin at the sound of another voice near him. He turned around to see Stan leaning against the wall with an amused smirk.

“Who?” Eddie asked.

Stan nodded towards the door. “You threw that door open so violently I thought the poor boy was going to shit his pants.”

Eddie felt bad now, knowing he may have given his co-worker PTDS, post-traumatic door stress. Jack may never be the same.

“So, are you done being dramatic or do you need another minute?” Stan asked.

Eddie walked over to the stack of clean towels neatly folded on the counter, calmly placed his elbows on either side, and proceeded to smother his face in the fresh cotton. He let out the loudest, longest groan he could, letting the sound muffle through the layers beneath him. He kept going until there was no air left in his lungs, and then, taking a deep breath, he lifted his head back up to face Stan.

Stan’s eyebrows were raised as he waited for an answer beyond a groan.

“I saw a cute guy.” Eddie offered.

“Okay.”

“I made an idiot of myself.” He added.

“Mhm.”

“I need you to bring him a virgin sex on the beach, so I can spend the rest of the day wallowing in my misery.”

“Eddie,” Stan sighed. “You can’t just avoid him.”

“I can and I will.” Eddie declared stubbornly.

They had a stare down for a few moments, until Stan finally took pity on his best friend.

“Fine, what does he look like?”

Eddie proceeded to describe the stranger, leaving out the part about his big dick and stunning physique. Once Stan was pretty sure he couldn’t miss him, he left, leaving Eddie alone with the towels and his shame.

 

 

Eddie managed to go three days without seeing hot stranger again. He didn’t see much of anyone, actually. Bill had switched his shifts around with another staff member for a couple of days while his friends got adjusted to being in town. Eddie had yet to meet them, the infamous Richie and Beverly, but he was sure it was only a matter of time. The resort wasn’t that big, after all.

Stan had gotten heat stroke within his first few days of working, so he was on mandatory bed-rest, per Mike’s instructions, until he felt well enough to work again.

This left Eddie working his shift one man down, and alongside employees he hadn’t gotten to know yet. He supposes he could try and be more social, chat up the lifeguard who’d taken Bill’s shifts, but the woman who now sat up on Bill’s lifeguard chair had a look of judgement in her eyes that reminded Eddie too much of his mother. It made his solitude much more enticing.

The day dragged on. Since Eddie was the only pool boy working that day he was constantly running back and forth to fetch things for the guests. He thought he’d finally caught himself a minute of downtime when someone new was waving him over. With a discreet sigh he steeled himself, plastering a customer service smile on his face before he made his way over.

The hand belonged to a girl, probably around Eddie’s age if he had to guess, who was easily stunning enough to be a model. Eddie was as gay as they come but that didn’t mean he didn’t have his few exceptions, and this girl could definitely be one. He didn’t want to fuck her, that would be a bit too much whiplash for his dick, but he did want to spend hours running his fingers through her hair and telling her just how pretty she was.

Speaking of, her hair was the most striking color of crimson he’d ever seen in real life. It was long, falling down her freckled back and ending at the dip in her waist. Despite being completely nude, she had a delicate gold chain around her neck that settled just between her breasts, adorned with a small key. It looked old, worn in, and Eddie found himself starring at it before he realized it probably looked like he was staring at something _else_ in that area. He flushed pink before his eyes flickered back up to meet hers, a daring blue that rivaled the red of her hair but held the same fire.

“Hi! Sorry, I know you’re busy. I was just hoping to get a glass of lemonade when you have a chance?” Her request was accompanied by a warm smile. It made Eddie feel safe. It was an odd feeling, but not unwelcome.

“Pink or regular?” Eddie asked, only a bit shaken by her politeness in contrast to the other guests he’d served that day.

“Just regular. But no rush!”

She sounded so genuine that Eddie couldn’t help but smile back. Just then, as if to drive home his point, he was being called over by another guest as she rudely snapped her fingers in his direction.

It took about ten minutes before he found the downtime to pick up the lemonade from the bar. He made sure to get the bartender to garnish the glass with a little wedge of lemon and an umbrella. It was silly, and probably too extra for something as simple as a lemonade, but he liked this particular guest and wanted to do something special, even if it came in the form of miniature plastic umbrellas.

He made his way over to the area where he’d last seen the redhead but instead of sitting in the spot she’d been in previously, she’d moved a few chairs over and was now talking to another guest. From their body language, Eddie guessed they didn’t know each other, but they were definitely trying to. The redhead was sitting on the edge of the chair, leaning in to listen intently to whatever the guy was saying.

He was extremely animated as he talked, his face lit up in an endearingly cute manner. He seemed to be a tall guy, but while hot stranger had been tall and lanky, this man was tall and broad, filling out his frame with strong arms and a round belly. He was quite hairy, but not in an off-putting way. Blonde locks eased into neatly trimmed facial hair, a round beard that framed his equally round cheeks perfectly. Eddie knew from a quick glance that he was hairy in other places too, but he didn’t want to be caught staring _again_ , so he forced himself to behave.

Eddie wasn’t sure how to approach the situation, to be honest. He didn’t want to interrupt their conversation, which they were both too engrossed in to notice him awkwardly standing nearby, but the lemonade in his hand was keeping him from getting back to work. Not that he wanted to get back to work, standing around and people watching (see: eavesdropping) was definitely favorable, but he didn’t want to get behind on an already busy day. Just as he was preparing himself to step in, a presence from behind spoke up.

“You better jump in now before she jumps him.”

The voice was right in his ear, it startled Eddie so much he lost his footing as he tried to swivel around to see who was behind the comment. He saw a flash of black hair and dark eyes receding quickly from his vision, and he realized too late that he was falling. He tried to put his hands out behind him to catch himself but was enveloped by water instead. The water quickly filling his lungs burned, his wet clothes weighed him down, the chlorine stung his eyes. He knows how to swim, knows he should be trying to, but he’s too overwhelmed by the suddenness of the situation to think clearly.

Then there were arms circling around him, a strong pressure against his back, and in seconds he’s breaking the surface of the water. The body behind him doesn’t let go, which Eddie is grateful for considering he’s too busy coughing to focus on anything else. He can tell they’re moving but his orientation is all off, he can’t differentiate up from down yet.

He’s being pressed up against the edge of the pool within seconds. His head is still cloudy with water and panic, but the feeling of steady ground against the palms of his hands helps to ground him. He vaguely starts to register that his feet don’t touch the ground of the pool, and the only thing keeping him up is being pinned between the ledge and the stranger behind him.

At that realization, Eddie swiveled his head around, trying desperately to figure out who had been his savior. The face was too close, featured fixating into nothing more than a blurred cyclops from Eddie’s vantage point. He blinked a few times, trying to get the water out of his eyes as if that would make a difference. When he opened his eyes again, the stranger had leaned back as much as he could without letting go of Eddie, and that’s when he realized who had saved him.

Hot stranger. Hot stranger was holding him. Hot stranger was appraising him with a look of worry. Hot stranger was… Shit, he was saying something that Eddie couldn’t hear through the water in his ears.

“What!?” Eddie said, probably a bit too loudly.

Hot stranger chuckled, his smile even more charming up close. When he repeated himself this time, Eddie heard him clearly.

“You really fell for me, didn’t you?”

He was… making a joke? Right now? While Eddie was dripping wet and fighting back mortification and still struggling to get his breathing back under control? What kind of asshole makes a joke before apologizing?

Eddie knew his anger was unwarranted, a by-product of his ever-growing embarrassment, but just because he was self aware didn’t mean he was good at controlling it.

Choosing not to acknowledge the comment, Eddie sent him a glare over his shoulder. He tried wiggling in his spot, searching for leverage to pull himself out of the pool while still wedged between a rock and a hard place. He re-settled his palms on the granite surface beneath him, ready to hoist himself up and out of the pool, when he felt it. _The hard place._

Hot stranger was still holding him up from behind, lithe arms circled around Eddie’s torso and chest pressed to his back, crotch rested against the curve of Eddie’s ass. The thing was, hot stranger was still naked. Meaning, Eddie had a cock pressing right up into the backside of his wet uniform, which clung to him much more now than when it was dry.

What happened next isn’t Eddie’s fault. It’s biology, a Pavlovian reaction. Eddie’s gay and right now there was a dick pressing against his ass. That does something to a guy.

“Get off me!” Eddie seethed, grabbing hot stranger hands and removing them from his body. He bobbed down in the water at the sudden loss of support but managed to keep a hand on the edge of the pool which aided him to hoist his body up and roll onto the deck, much less gracefully than he would have liked.

The redheaded lemonade girl from earlier, who had probably been watching the whole show unfold, was offering him her towel. It was a nice gesture, but Eddie couldn’t risk getting caught with a hard-on, especially not while working at a place like this, so without a word he pushed past her, running towards the doors to the storage room.

He didn’t worry about anyone else being in there, threw the doors open and let them shut behind him with a thud as he paced towards the back of the room. He removed his soaked clothing in the process, stripping down to his underwear and grabbing a clean towel when he reached the small hidden alcove.

He wasn’t proud of his next move, screwing his eyes shut before shoving his hand into his briefs unceremoniously. He brought the fresh towel to his face to soak up some of the water as his hand moved rapidly, spurred on by his anger and embarrassment and shame. It didn’t take long for him to release into his fist, his moan muffled by the towel. Once his breathing evened out again and his head was clear, he rid himself of his sullied underwear and wrapped the towel around his waist.

He gathered his discarded clothing, moving slower now, almost lethargic. He threw the garments into one of the empty washing machines, throwing in a few of the used towels that were piling up as well, so he could at least pretend he was still doing work. Then Eddie slid to the floor, hung his head between his knees, and began making a list of all the things he wanted to yell at that stupid, arrogant, _unfairly hot_ stranger.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Et voila! The appearance of Richie (and the rest of the losers)! And also the appearance of Eddie's uninhibited libido.
> 
> This chapter is actually much longer than I'd originally planned. I wanted to make each chapter approximately the same length, but I guess I'm not very good at that, so... Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the week was uneventful. Stan was back at work, as was Bill, and that combined with the tantalizing freedom that Friday offered was enough to put Eddie in a good mood. He got Saturdays off, the one day a week where he got to seclude himself in his room and recharge for the work week ahead. He’d been too reluctant to take advantage of the free spa services that employees had access to, his social anxiety getting the better of him, so instead he gave himself spa days. Crammed in the tiny bathtub that his room offered, filled up to the brim with cheap bubble bath, and adorning a face mask that made him just a little bit itchy. It wasn’t ideal, but it was much more enticing than the alternative that was currently being offered to him.

“Come on, Eddie! It’s so much fun. Don’t you want to see what this place is like after-hours?” Bill asked with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.

He’d been trying to convince Eddie to come to a little unofficial staff party later tonight, or rather, early tomorrow morning. The pool deck didn’t close until 10:00, meaning the cleaning crew didn’t get done until 12:00. Meaning the party didn’t start until roughly 1:00am, which is _roughly_ way past Eddie’s bed-time. He was surprised Stan had agreed to it so quickly, being the only person Eddie knew that had more elderly qualities than he did.

“I can imagine it from the comfort of my warm bed, where I’ll be asleep, at 1:00am.” Eddie said.

Bill pouted, actually _pouted_ , and Eddie felt his heart soften just a little bit.

“But I wanna finally introduce you to Bev and Richie.” Bill fluttered his eyelashes as he continued to pout.

Eddie sighed, already resigning himself to defeat. Bill had been talking non-stop about getting everyone to meet. He knew if he missed it, he’d feel excluded later on. So, he let his FOMO drive him, despite his body already protesting the long night ahead of him.

“Will we get in trouble if we get caught?” Eddie asked, fighting the smile down as Bill’s eyes lit up.

“Nope! Mike is in on it!” Bill responded through a toothy grin.

Eddie sighed again. “Fine.”

Bill had him wrapped up in a hug before Eddie could even finish.

 

The night crept up on Eddie faster than he expected. He’d gotten off work at 7:00 and was left to kill six hours on his own. His first instinct was to take a nap to prepare for the late night he’d soon have to endure, but the fear of sleeping through until morning and having to see Bill’s disappointed face was enough to deter him. Instead, he decided to get ready early. He ran himself a bath, taking time to exfoliate his entire body and shave everything that needed to be shaved. Once the still water had lost its warmth, Eddie turned on the shower and washed off all remnants of cheap hotel bubble bath. He went through the steps of his shower routine, humming an indistinct tune as he lathered shampoo into his hair. The whole regime only knocked about an hour off his time, but he felt fresh and clean and more equipped to handle whatever tonight threw at him.

With newfound pep in his step, Eddie took the time to pick out something to wear. He hadn’t had many opportunities to wear his clothes yet. Five days out of seven he’s wearing his uniform and one day out of his remaining two he usually spends in his pajamas.

After some consideration, he settles for a thin pink t-shirt and a pair of jean shorts; a simple outfit, but one that he knows will be comfortable for the long hours ahead of him. In the first few days of being at the resort, Eddie had gotten a harshly unwelcome sunburn. After bathing in aloe and practically drinking sunscreen from then onwards, his skin was finally easing into a tan. He’d avoided wearing pink while his skin still rivaled a tomato, not wanting to bring extra attention to the burn, but now that the angry red was turning into softened caramel, his favorite shirt contrasted with his tan in a way that made Eddie look like he was glowing.

Eddie appraised himself in the mirror, doing a little twirl to check himself from all angles. These shorts hugged his ass a little better than any of the others he owned, and it may not have been a coincidence that he chose that pair to wear tonight. It’s not that he was trying to impress anyone… it’s just that this would be his first time since being here that he was getting together with his coworkers off work hours, and _maybe_ he’s taken notice that everyone who works at this resort seems to be god-level good-looking… so sue him, he’s wearing the _good ass shorts_.

As he was beginning to style his quickly drying hair, a knock drew his attention. He set down his styling gel and comb and traipsed over to his door, opening it somewhat hesitantly. At the sight of tight blonde curls, he relaxed, opening the door wider to welcome Stan in.

“You look good… What gives?” Stan inquired, making a beeline for Eddie’s bed where he let his body flop down unceremoniously.

Eddie closed the door behind Stan and reclaimed his spot in front of the mirror, scooping a dollop of gel from his bottle and getting back to work on his hair.

“Nothing _gives_. I just want to look good for tonight.” Eddie responded.

“Mhm… So, who is it?”

“What?”

“The guy you’re trying to impress, who is it?”

Eddie sighed and let his hand drop from his hair, turning to level Stan with a look.

“There’s no _specific_ guy. I just… figured there might be _a_ guy…”

“Well as long as you’re not going after Bill. Or Mike. Because I’ve got dibs.” Stan stated matter-of-factly.

Eddie snorted. “Stan, you can’t call dibs on humans… And you definitely can’t call dibs on _two_ humans, that’s just not fair.”

Stan shrugged as if to say ‘I don’t make the rules’. Eddie laughed despite himself and turned back to the mirror, determined to finish his task at hand.

“Well, they’re both good choices.” Eddie decided aloud. “You’d be lucky to get with either of them.”

“And what about them? Wouldn’t they be lucky to get with me?” Stan asked with mock offense.

Eddie made a show of looking Stan up and down out of the corner of his eye.

“You’re alright.” He shrugged before dodging a pillow Stan hurled his way.

“So, are we on operation Get Eddie Laid tonight?” Stan asked.

Eddie sighed as he abandoned his hair, deciding it was as good as it was going to get. He capped off his gel and set it aside along with his comb before joining Stan on the bed.

“If it happens, I’m definitely not gonna complain, but I don’t even know if anyone’s going to catch my attention.”

“What about Bill’s friend?”

Eddie’s nose scrunched up as he shoved Stan playfully with his shoulder.

“Come on, his own best friend describes him as ‘the world’s biggest nerd’ and goes on about his escapades of pantsing the principle at their high school graduation. Twice. Not exactly the makings of a stud.”

Stan shrugged. “Well, I’m sure there’ll be someone there tonight who gets the privilege of pulling the stick out of your ass before fucking it.”

Eddie rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore Stan’s sly jab. Stan was just as uptight as Eddie, if not more-so, in most aspects of his life. But when it came to intimacy, the chase, the pining, the flirting, the _catch_ , Stan was different. While Eddie’s upbringing had caused him to stay sheltered and refined, Stan’s had led him to steer in the other direction. You wouldn’t know it by looking at him, but in the private parts of his life, Stan was unrestrained.

“So, Bill and Mike, huh?” Eddie steered the conversation in a safer direction.

Stan’s face seemed to soften under the mention of their names, but he tried to conceal his reaction with a non-committal shrug.  
  
“They’re cute.” Stan said.

“Come on, Stan. I know it’s more than that.” Eddie goaded kindly.

Stan let his posture relax a little, conceding to the line of questioning.

“Mike is… sweet.” He started hesitantly, trying to find the words to explain his thoughts. “He makes me feel safe, and every time he speaks, I feel like I’m getting lost in the sound. You have no idea how many times I’ve had to play catch up because I was too busy listening to his voice instead of listening to his words. _But_ he’s also our supervisor, which gives the whole thing an extra thrill.” Stan smirked mischievously, causing a small chuckle in Eddie.

“And Bill is…” Stan sighed dreamily, in a way that Eddie doesn’t think he even notices. “Bill is funny, and so full of this life that makes being around him invigorating. Yet at the same time he’s thoughtful and compassionate, genuine and intimate, _soft_ but not weak.”

“It sounds like you’ve really taken a liking to them.” Eddie acknowledged.

“Yeah. But we’re only here for another couple of months, so-” Stan tried to shrug again, his shoulders noticeably tenser than before.

“A lot can happen in a couple of months.” Eddie offered.

Stan let out a sigh before pushing himself up off the bed, resigning from the conversation.

“Come on, I found something the other day I wanna show you.”

 

 

The walk through the resort felt unfamiliar. Despite having been there for nearly two weeks, Eddie still hadn’t ventured far outside his work zone. The winding halls that carried them were surprisingly barren. Eddie supposes it’s because it was a Friday night and most guests were convened to the pool deck or the restaurants, or out exploring the city. It offered the perfect opportunity for them to weave in and out of new areas with no inhibitions.

Stan seemed to know where he was going, so Eddie followed dutifully. It was a good five minutes before they stopped in front of a set of tall oak double doors.

“Are we allowed here?” Eddie asked anxiously, glancing around him and seeing no one and nothing in sight.

“What, are they going to fire us and take on the new round of experienced workers waiting anxiously to get jobs at a nudist resort?” Stan’s dry humor did nothing to quell Eddie’s stress, but the view inside the room as Stan pushed open the doors was enough to disintegrate it within seconds.

Before them was a giant room, completely empty of life and dimly lit, reminiscent of an 80’s style arcade. There were bright posters on the walls, unplugged arcade games with black screens and dimmed lights, dusty couches propped up in a corner, and in the center of the room laid a pool table, balls already racked in their starting position.

Eddie’s eyes were as bright as stars as they flickered around the room, taking everything in.

“What is this place!” He asked excitedly.

Stan closed the doors behind them and followed after Eddie.

“It’s an old game room. I’m assuming it’s not in use anymore because no kid is gonna wanna spend time here when they have every game they want at their finger tips now, and the adults who come here to vacation probably have better things to do.”

Stan broke off from Eddie to make his way over to the pool table. He ran a finger along the edge, gathering dust and wrinkling his nose at the grainy grey fluff that collected on his skin.

“Remember when I was USM’s 2014 Pool champion?”

Eddie rolled his eyes, throwing Stan a look over his shoulder. “How could I forget?”

When they were in college, Stan and Eddie had taken up pool. It had started as a casual way to pass the time between classes, blow off steam while studying for exams, and spend their Friday nights when they avoided the ragers being thrown in nearly every dorm on campus. While Eddie developed a healthy appreciation for the game, Stan became _obsessed_.

Near the beginning of their new hobby, Stan had found a monthly pool tournament run by some of the students on campus and had joined on a whim one fateful night. It soon became clear to everyone that Stan had a gift. He sunk every ball in record time, never flinching or second guessing his move. It was like this weird, lanky Jewish boy showed up out of nowhere and revealed himself as the Pool Messiah.

Stan’s competitive side bloomed quickly, and he continued to heighten the stakes with determination to sweep everyone under the rug. One tournament turned into two, turned into four, turned into a whole year of Stan obsessing over the game. He’d spend every free moment he had in their pool hall, even forgoing the usual ‘Stanley Uris essentials’ to get in more practice time. Pressed shirts and khakis turned to sweat pants and hoodies, daily showers turned into one a week, and his diet began consisting of Cheetos and Red Bull. Eventually the year rounded off, the last tournament came and went, and Stan earned the title of USM’s Pool Champion of the year. He didn’t get a trophy, no plaque or ribbon, there was no book to sign his name in for the future generations to remember him. But what he did get was the satisfaction of knowing he’d won, and it seemed to be enough to quell the competitive streak he’d been riding on all year.

The next day, _the very next day_ , Stan was back to normal. He wore his usual slacks and button-down shirts, was freshly washed and freshly shaven, discarded all traces of junk food in their shared dorm room, he’d even shined his shoes. It was as if the last year had never happened.

Sometimes Eddie wondered if he’d dreamt it all. If it had been one long fever dream. He’s also considered that it may have been a drawn-out practical joke that only Stan was in on. Eddie wouldn’t put it past him to commit to a bit for an unruly length of time just to get to see people’s reactions.

But then there were moments like this, when Stan proudly brought up his title, and all Eddie could do was nod and pretend to be reminiscent.

Sighing, as if he was easing back into reality from a dream, Stan procured a small packet of wet wipes from his pocket (which he never went anywhere without) and began wiping down the pool table.  
  
"Wanna get in a few games before the party? See how rusty my skills have gotten? I bet I could still beat you-" Stan cut himself off with a tumultuous scream.  
  
Eddie's body reacted before he knew what was happening, and his legs were carrying him across the room, his arms reaching out for Stan who was stumbling back from the pool table in horror. Eddie's eyes grazed the table, half expecting to see a dead body beneath it, but came up empty. He grabbed hold of Stan, who'd backed himself up against the wall, and tried to make eye contact through the frenzy.  
  
"What! What happened!?" Eddie yelled, trying to get Stan's attention despite his gaze being firmly planted over Eddie's shoulder to the pool table.  
  
"Li-Liz-"  
  
Stan was interrupted once again, this time by the double doors bursting open and slamming against the walls.  
  
Before them stood Mike, panic written all over his face, and clearly out of breath.  
  
"I heard screaming, what happened?! Are you okay?!" Mike was asking them both, but Eddie noticed his attention was solely on Stan.  
  
Eddie turned back to his friend, eyes pleading for an answer. He could see that Stan's face was flushed from embarrassment, clearly taken aback by his own reaction to whatever had caused this commotion.  
  
After the three of them had stared at one another for what felt like one too many beats, Stan cleared his throat. He shrugged Eddie's grip off his arm and straightened his posture.  
  
"There was a lizard." Stan's voice quivered on the last word.  
  
Eddie and Mike exchanged silent looks, both battling internally to react appropriately to the (seemingly over dramatic) situation.  
  
Mike was the first to speak. He took a few tentative steps into the room, addressing Stan gently.  
  
"Where is it?"  
  
"O-on the pool table." Stan stuttered.  
  
Mike nodded and proceeded to the offending area. At first glance he couldn't see anything, but once he crouched down, he came face to face with the demon itself.  
  
Mike couldn't help but chuckle.  
  
"This little guy?" Mike cupped his hands around the lizard, removing it from where it gripped to the hardwood edge of the pool table.  
  
"This is a Hemidactylus Mabouia gecko, also known as a tropical house gecko." Mike began walking towards Stan, who's eyes were as wide as saucers as he traced Mike's every move. "They're non-venomous and completely harmless." Mike added, before stopping right in front of Stan.  
  
He opened his palms to show a tiny brown lizard no larger than 3 or 4 inches. The lizard was sitting still, seemingly content to be in Mike's hold.  
  
"You can touch him, if you want. He won't bite. But even if he did, their teeth aren't big enough to pierce the skin." Mike added the last part as if it was supposed be calming.  
  
When Stan refused to move a muscle, Eddie reached forward tentatively and began petting the lizard's back.  
  
“Huh… Kinda slimy, kinda rough… this is actually pretty cool! You should touch him, Stan!" Eddie knew that Stan could read through his fake enthusiasm, but he also knew that he wouldn't back down from this in front of Mike.  
  
Stan shot Eddie an inconspicuous glare before he outstretched a shaky hand. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw as his hand came in contact with the terrifying animal.  
  
"There we go, see? He's totally cool." Mike supplied in an encouraging tone.  
  
Stan peeked one eye open, settling it on where his hand connected with the lizard. Its eyes blinked one by one and Stan suppressed a shiver.  
  
"You know, in some Caribbean cultures it's actually considered good luck to have one of these guys in your house. So... Seems like you might get lucky tonight."  
  
Stan's breath stuttered as he made eye contact with Mike, who was still gazing at him with the same tenderness as when he'd first walked in the room.  
  
Eddie watched the air between them become charged as Mike's comment sunk in.  
  
Without another word, Mike re-cupped his hands, sealing the lizard in safety so he could carry it outside.  
  
"Well, see you guys in two hours!" Mike shouted over his shoulder as he retreated, leaving the two boys in stunned silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uhm... it's my birthday! Woo! I wanted to post chap 3 as a gift to you all. I hope you enjoy this peek into some of the other relationships going on. I promise next chapter will focus on Reddie, as it's the party scene AKA when they actually meet and Eddie finds out Richie and Hot Stranger are the same guy??? His brain gonna go sploot!
> 
> I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit smut into the next chapter or it'll come in chapter 5 (depends on if I split the party into one or two chapters) but it's coming soon, promise! Thanks for being so patient, and for all of the support you guys have given me so far. It means the world to me. <3


	4. Chapter 4

The last two hours flew by quickly, and soon Eddie found himself walking towards the pool deck, nervously wringing his hands and babbling Stan’s ear off.

“What if they think I’m boring? They live here, in _Barbados_. Their whole lives are probably like one big vacation! I’m just some kid from Portland, Maine.”

“By that logic, I’d be just as lame.” Stan offered monotonously.

“Ugh, but you’re likeable, Stan! You’re like, cool and reserved.”

Stan stopped abruptly, causing Eddie to stumble into him.

“Are you forgetting that two hours ago a lizard made me screamed so loud I could be heard halfway across the hotel?”

Eddie blinked a few times before clearing his throat.

“Yeah but Mike found that endearing.”

Stan sighed and turned to place his hands on Eddie’s tense shoulders, crouching down a tad so they were eye level. It felt a bit like Stan was a father, preparing to give his son the ‘big talk’.

“ **You** are endearing. Everyone who meets you sees that. Yeah, some people might think I’m _cool_ or _collected_ ,” Stan seemed to wince through those words. “but sometimes others read it as coldness. Not everyone is going to like you, and that’s okay. But it’ll be entirely their loss. And to date, I have yet to meet one of those people.”

Stan ruffled Eddie’s hair as he straightened back up, receiving an indignant groan while Eddie frantically tried to smooth it back out.

“You’re likeable Eddie, sorry to break it to you.” Stan shrugged dramatically, causing a laugh to bubble up in Eddie’s chest. He found himself wondering how he’d ever have survived this summer without Stan around.

“Long time no see.” A smooth voice entering the hall broke their attention.

Exiting the elevator was Mike, more relaxed than Eddie had seen him so far. He’d changed out of his suit, opting for a pair of dark jeans and a grey muscle tee that drooped low and showed off the toned lines of his chest. Mike was much more built than his business attire let on. Eddie wondered how often someone had to work out to get a build like that. He could practically feel Stan drooling next to him as both boys stood there dumbly, ogling their supervisor instead of greeting him.

Mike belted out a hearty laugh as he caught on to their expressions.

“Too casual?” He guessed, looking down at his body. “I wasn’t sure what to wear so I just threw on one of my gym shirts. Definitely rethinking my choice now that I’ve seen how good the both of you look.” Once again, just like earlier in the evening, Mike was addressing the both of them but looking solely at Stan. Eddie’s heart flipped with excitement for his best friend.

“You look great.” Eddie finally filled the silence. “Right, Stan?”

After another few moments of silence and staring (which Mike didn’t seem to mind), Eddie had to physically elbow Stan to shake him out of whatever no doubt devious place his mind had gone to.

“Yeah! Yes, yeah, you look… _great_.” Stan echoed Eddie’s words. “Really great.” He added under his breath.

Mike shot Stan a smile so charming Eddie thought Stan might faint, but instead Stan just looped his arm through Mike’s, leaning into him flirtatiously and encouraged him to lead the way.

Eddie followed them across the lobby and through the double doors that led to the patio. Mike locked them back up behind him, so no wandering guests could stumble upon them, and tossed the keys on the closest patio chair.

Eddie surveyed the pool deck, noting how different it was at night. The water was still, mirroring the moon above. The stools at the bar were put up for the night, the umbrellas above the tables closed, and the pool chairs were stacked in rows off to the side. The area seemed bigger now, and Eddie wasn’t sure if it was due to the lack of people or the intimidation of the moment.

A few feet away he could see a group of people talking. They hadn’t noticed Eddie, Mike, or Stan yet, as they seemed to be engrossed in whatever conversation they were having. There were four bodies, one distinctly feminine, one distinctly Bill, and two distinctly unfamiliar. Mike and Stan began making their way over and Eddie took a deep breath, steeling himself, before following.

Now or never, Kaspbrak.

 

Bill noticed them first, being the only one whose back wasn’t turned to them. He waved above his head wildly as if they could somehow miss the only group of people on the entire patio deck. Eddie absentmindedly noted how cute it was, and one glance in Stan’s direction confirmed he was thinking the same.

The first one to turn around was the feminine silhouette. As Eddie got closer, the lights from the patio illuminated red hair, a freckled face, and a kind smile.

“You!” Eddie shouted excitedly before he could stop himself. His anxiety melted away at the sight of lemonade girl.

She grinned back at him, seemingly just as excited to see this total stranger, and Eddie’s heart fluttered a bit. _Is this what making friends feels like?_

“Hey, pool boy.” The red-head greeted him, putting enough inflection in his nickname that Eddie knew it had two insinuations. He was her pool-boy, but he was also the boy who’d fallen in the pool while failing to deliver her drink. A second wave of embarrassment washed over him at the reminder of his very public mishap.

Just then, the other two figures turned around from where they’d been making acquaintance with Mike and Stan. One was a big burly man who Eddie thinks he’d seen before, but couldn’t quite place where, and the other was…

_No_ … _It couldn’t be_ …

“YOU!” Eddie repeated his previous greeting, but this time his tone was furious and raised a few more octaves than necessary. He pointed his finger accusingly at the man standing before him.

**Hot stranger.**

“Didn’t recognized me with my clothes on, huh?” He joked.

Eddie felt his face heating up for a litany of reasons, his anger bubbling in him for no logical reason.

“Uh… you guys know each other?” Bill interjected hesitantly.

Eddie crossed his arms irately, refusing to look away from hot stranger. What audacity did he have to show up here anyway? This was a _staff_ party, and he was most definitely not staff.

“What are you doing here?” Eddie demanded, cocking his hip to the side.

The man let out a warm laugh. Eddie’s subconscious swatted it away before it could crawl into his chest and make a home in his heart. Stupid hot stranger with his stupid hot laugh.

“Uh, Eddie… This is Richie.” Bill clapped a hand on hot stranger’s shoulder.

Eddie’s brain spluttered before it came to a complete stop. His limbs feeling like noodles and concrete all at once. Hot stranger was Richie? Dorky, comic-book reading, principle pantsing _Richie_? In all the ways Bill had described him, he’d never once mentioned how hot he was. Or warned Eddie of his charming personality. Or mentioned that he had a dick big enough to rival an anaconda.

Okay, maybe a baby anaconda. He was still a human, after all.

“Is he okay?” Through the static in his ears Eddie could hear Richie whispering to Bill.

“He gets like this sometimes, give it a second.” Bill responded.

Eddie’s voice came back to him before his brain caught up.

“You made me wet.” Eddie accused, brows furrowing.

Richie raised an eyebrow, an amused smile pulling at the corners of his lips.

“I’ve been told I have that affect on people.”

Eddie’s face stayed stone, unimpressed by the retort.

“Just ignore him. We all do.” The cheery feminine voice pulled his attention away from where he was trying to shoot daggers through his eyeballs.

Eddie turned to lemonade girl, realizing he hadn’t even introduced himself, had been so rudely caught up in his rivalry with hot stranger… _Richie_.

“I’m sorry, you’re Beverly, right?” Eddie asked, trying to coat his voice in sugary sweetness to drown out the bitterness from before.

“Mhm! Eddie, right?” Eddie nodded. “And I’m guessing that makes him Stan?” Beverly asked, gesturing to their left where Stan, Mike, and the last unnamed stranger were deep in conversation.

“Yeah, that’s Stan.” Eddie confirmed.

Beverly turned to Bill, who’d been standing just on the sidelines of the conversation.

“You’re right, he is cute.”

Bill’s face flushed a deep red and he dropped his head bashfully.

“Don’t worry Bill, he thinks you’re cute too.” Eddie said lowly, delighting in the way Bill’s entire face lit up.

“Oh, and that’s Ben.” Beverly added, pointing to the last man Eddie had yet to meet. “He’s my date.” She said confidently.

It finally clicked in Eddie’s mind where he’d seen the man before. He’d been talking to Beverly the day Eddie had fallen in the pool. They’d seemed so engaged in one another, Eddie was excited to see that it had developed.

 

It took a while, but eventually Eddie’s nerves subsided. Conversation began to flow naturally, and Eddie was grateful to learn that Richie and Beverly were the most talkative of the group. It gave Eddie an opportunity to sit back and get his bearings, until he slowly began to crawl out of his shell with small interjections.

The atmosphere was warm, and despite the presence of Richie and his constant glances in Eddie’s direction, Eddie found himself relaxing.

That is, until said annoyance tapped him on the shoulder.

“Can I talk to you for a sec?” Richie whispered in his ear. Eddie reveled in the feeling of Richie’s breath against his neck, swallowing thickly before nodding his head, shaking away all feelings other than irritation.

The two walked a few feet away, just out of ear-shot of the others. Eddie crossed his arms over his chest, hoping to appear self-assured.

“What, did you want a repeat performance?” Eddie gestured towards the pool just a couple steps away from where they stood.

Richie scratched the back of his neck, something akin to nerves seeming to take hold of him. It was the least confident Eddie had seen him thus far and it made his gut twist with guilt.

“Uh, I realized I never really, like… apologized for that. I’m not good with the serious stuff, it’s just easier to make a joke out of it, you know? But I _am_ sorry. Really.”

This new uncertain Richie was cute, and Eddie felt the ice around his heart melting much faster than he’d intended to let it.

“It’s fine.” Eddie replied timidly.

“Are you, like, okay? You didn’t hit your head or anything? I should have come to check on you after you ran off.”

The reminder of the aftermath of the event painted Eddie’s face with a blush. The idea of Richie walking in on him while he was dripping wet and frantically jerking off… He’d never have been able to live that down.

“I’m okay, yeah. No injuries here.” Eddie promised.

“Cool.” Richie’s smile rejoined his features. Not the cocky smile Eddie had gotten used to, but a much more intimate version.

“So… can I make you a drink to commemorate this truce?”

Eddie agreed, happily following Richie over to the bar which he slipped behind with grace.

Richie assessed the ingredients available to him, making a choice and beginning to set things out before him.

“How do you know how to do this?” Eddie asked, watching Richie’s hands move swiftly.

“One of the many things I picked up in my years at college.” Richie shot a grin over his shoulder as he began putting ingredients into a blender.

“Virgin, right?” Richie asked casually.

“WHAT? NO, I-I’M NOT-”

“The drink.” Richie’s smile could be heard through his voice, even though his back was turned to Eddie. “You want it virgin, right?”

Eddie wanted to crawl under a rock.

“Yes please.” He responded meekly.

They stood in silence for a few minutes while Richie continued moving about the space with ease. He lined the rim of a glass with what seemed to be sugar and then poured in the bright pink substance from the blender, finishing with a garnish of lime.

Richie presented the drink to Eddie with a hopeful look.

“Strawberry daiquiri. I was inspired by your shirt.” Richie gave Eddie a sly wink before turning back to his work station.

Eddie’s face flushed to match the pink of his shirt, which indeed matched the pink of his drink. He took a sip, hoping to cool down his rising temperature, and let out an accidental hum as the sweetness touched his tongue.

“Good?” Richie asked in reply to the noise.

“Oh my god.” Eddie said after he’d gulped down nearly a quarter of his drink in one sip. “This is amazing.”

Richie returned to Eddie’s side, carrying his own orange concoction.

“What’s that?” Eddie inquired.

“Virgin sex on the beach. You already know it’s my go-to.” Richie said coolly. He plucked the single cherry from the top of his drink and popped it in his mouth. Eddie watched in silence as Richie chewed, swallowed, then began clenching and un-clenching his jaw inconsistently, his tongue probing his cheeks every now and then.

He looked ridiculous, his serious gaze fixed in the distance as his mouth contorted wildly. Eddie was about to ask what he was doing when Richie stuck his tongue out, a cherry stem tied in a knot sitting atop the thick muscle.

“Damn it, I can usually do this way better.” Richie complained, observing the stem in the palm of his hand. He shrugged and tossed it into the trash can across from them.

Meanwhile, Eddie’s heart was beating wildly. While the method had Richie looking foolish, the result left Eddie tingling. If his mouth could do that, what else could it do…

“Ready to head back?” Richie asked obliviously.

“Actually, can you make one more drink?”

 

Eddie and Richie rejoined the group as they were in the throws of laughter.

“What are we talking about?” Richie asked, squeezing back into the conversation seamlessly.

Bill filled him in while Eddie saddled up next to Beverly.

“Uh, Beverly?”

She turned her attention to him, eyes crinkled in the corners from her smile.

“Since I failed to bring you your drink last time…” Eddie finished his sentence by offering Beverly a glass of lemonade, cold with condensation and garnished with a lemon slice and, of course, a tiny plastic umbrella.

Beverly cried with delight at the display, taking the drink from Eddie and plucking the umbrella out immediately.

“This is so cute!” She twirled it between her forefinger and thumb, mesmerized by the miniature version of a real-life object.

“I will keep it forever.” She told him, tucking the umbrella behind her ear as if it were a wild flower she’d picked. “Thanks Eddie.” She added genuinely, reaching out to squeeze his arm.

Eddie nodded bashfully, tuning back into the conversation everyone else was invested in.

“No, I swear to god! This guy reached over to grab his hot dog and grabbed a whole different kind of hot dog instead.” Ben’s voice was animated as he told his story, getting a rousing laugh from everyone.

“How do you overestimate a distance like that!?” Bill howled.

“What did the other guy do!?” Richie asked.

“He got up, gathered his things, and moved to a chair on the other side of the pool, all the while maintaining a deadpan expression. I think the whole ordeal made him die a little inside.” Ben explained.

“Serves him right for ogling the other guest. Maybe if he had been paying more attention, he wouldn’t have gotten a fist-full of manhood.” Beverly added through giggles.

Eddie laughed along nervously, finding the story funny but also a stark reminder of how different he was from these people.

“One time, before I started working here, Bev, Richie and I visited a nude beach in Cali while we were on vacation-”

“Nooo not this story.” Richie began to groan, overshadowed by Beverly’s excited encouragements.

“Well Richie here fell asleep under the sun, resting peacefully while Beverly and I swam and explored, for _hours_.”

Richie covered his face with both his hands.

“When we got back to him, he’d turned the same color as Bev’s hair. We woke him up and that’s when we realized that only his front side was burned, leaving his back side an entirely different color.”

“There was a vertical tan line running down his entire body. It was like someone had taken the front side of one person and the back side of another and stitched them together.” Beverly snorted.

“But the worst part by far was when he started peeling.”

“Please don’t.” Richie pleaded, muffled by his hands.

“His snake shed its skin.” Bill finished.

A chorus of laughter left Stan and Ben’s mouths, while Mike hissed sympathetically at the thought of having your dick peel.

“Are you okay?” Eddie asked Richie quietly, cutting through the other reactions. “Burns that severe can be dangerous. Did you get checked out by a doctor?”

Eddie’s concern left Richie speechless, his hands falling and revealing the shocked expression he wore.

“I… yeah, I did. He uh, said I was okay. I just had to be careful not to get another sunburn that bad.”

Eddie nodded, seemingly happy with that answer.

“I have SPF 100, if you need it while you’re here.” Eddie offered.

“Thanks.” Richie responded, still dumbfounded by Eddie’s worry.

“What about you Eddie?” Mike’s voice brought them back to the group. “Any stories you’ve gathered?”

“Uh, actually this is my first time ever being at a nudist anything.” Eddie admitted shyly.

“Awe, we popped your cherry!” Beverly cheered.

“Yeah.” Eddie laughed. “I actually… I don’t know how you guys can just like, _be naked_ around other people. The whole thing freaks me out." Eddie continued, hoping that none of them would be offended.  
  
"It's freeing." Beverly offered as explanation.  
  
Eddie tried to consider that approach but couldn’t understand. Calling in sick to work when you're not actually sick, deciding to eat an extra cookie despite your diet, waiting two days before returning your mother's email... Those things were freeing. Choosing to be nude around other people, _complete strangers_ no less, seemed like pure insanity.  
  
Still, despite his rationality, the intrigue tugged at the corners of his mind. What it would mean to be ‘free’, in such a way.  
  
"It's more than that for me." Ben joined in, his voice hesitant. "I struggled with body issues a lot when I was younger. The first time I did this, it was at a nudist beach in Venice. It was like exposure therapy, kinda. It was terrifying, until I realized that no one cared what I looked like. My appearance was irrelevant amidst this shared experience we were all having."  
  
Eddie noticed Beverly's hand snake down into Ben's as he trailed off. He sent her a shy smile and she returned it with one of her own. Seeing two people so obviously smitten in such a short time made Eddie feel a tinge of loneliness. Even from where Eddie stood, on the outskirts of their connection, he could feel the draw between them, like they somehow filled a piece of each other's puzzle.  
  
"I just get a thrill from it." Richie joked, earning a round of groans from the group. He swirled his hips salaciously as he sent a wink towards Bill, who was giving him a particularly stern look.  
  
Stan's voice broke through the laughter, surprising Eddie.  
  
"I've never done anything like that before, but it sounds fun, honestly."  
  
From beside him, Mike's ears seemed to perk up.  
  
"Well, you know, there's no time like the present." Mike nudged Stan playfully. Eddie doesn't think he'd ever seen Stan blush so deeply.  
  
"We should skinny dip!" Bill shouted suddenly, as if the idea had just come to him and it was the best one he'd ever had.  
  
Eddie, on the other hand, thought it might be the worst. He began to shake his head, squeaking out a measly "nu-uh" which got drowned out among everyone else's unanimous agreement.  
  
Eddie looked to Stan in a panic, trying desperately to catch his eyes as the group began to dissipate. Stan was too busy watching closely as Bill and Mike both pulled their shirts off with mischievous grins plastered to their faces.  
  
"You know, no one's going to force you to do this." Richie rang out from beside him. He’d been the only one who hadn’t moved  
  
"I mean, we'd love for you to join, but we're not in the habit of making people uncomfortable."  
  
Eddie's mouth flapped open and shut as words failed him. His anxiety was a fire, licking higher and higher up his body.  
  
"Thanks." Eddie mumbled. He heard rustling and looked back up to see that Richie was getting himself undressed. Eddie couldn’t help but stare, even as his chest tightened and his brain threatened to pull him down, his attraction to Richie won out. He'd seen him nude before, of course, but there was something much more intimate about watching him get undressed. Just then he noticed Eddie's eyes on him and stopped as his hands reached his belt.  
  
They stared at one another for a moment. Eddie felt the need to fill the silence.  
  
"I don't want to be like this, you know."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
Eddie shrugged, averting his eyes. "Prudish."  
  
"I don't think you're prudish. You just know your boundaries." Richie simplified. It coaxed Eddie, but only momentarily.  
  
"I want to be more like you guys. More... Free." Eddie said, calling back to the word Beverly had used earlier. He still wasn't sure what this type of freedom entailed, what it would require from him, but he knew it was something he wanted to try out.  
  
"Well... How about you strip down to your boxers. Boxers are just like swim shorts, right? Just different fabric. It'll be a baby step towards freedom." Richie teased, no hint of malice in his tone.  
  
Eddie liked that idea... Yeah, that sounded doable. His face broke out into a grin, and he's not sure if he misinterpreted it, but he thought he saw a glint in Richie's eyes.  
  
Together they stripped down. Richie in his birthday suit, and Eddie in his plain white boxer briefs _. Plain, boring, safe_ white boxer briefs.  
  
‘Well, let's see how boring this is’ Eddie thought, before he took off running, ignoring Richie's shouts from behind him as he cannonballed into the pool. The splash caused halfhearted complaints from around him, but they came through smiling mouths. As Eddie resurfaced, wiping water from his eyes, he observed his surroundings. He noticed that the group had broken off into smaller teams.  
  
Off to one end of the pool were Ben and Beverly, having a splash fight of their own. Even though Beverly's breasts were now on display, Ben's eyes stayed glued to her face. Not as if he was trying to avoid looking down, but as if her face was just far more enticing.  
  
In the middle and off to the side, Stan was leaning against the wall with Bill and Mike flocked to either side of him. Eddie would have been surprised that Stan decided to join in on the nudity, but his intentions were made clear now that Eddie saw how he fluttered his lashes at both boys. He'd known Stan long enough to know his moves.  
  
And finally, that left him in his own section of the clear blue water. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that Richie was descending into the water and found himself absently hoping he’d make his way over to him.  
  
Eddie let himself float on his back, looking up at the moon that reflected back at him. He felt small waves as the water moved around him, displaced from a figure approaching. Then a face popped into his vision; a big goofy smile, pale freckled skin, and wide saucer eyes. His heart sped.

“Well that was unexpected.” Richie said through a wide smile.

“I’m full of unexpected surprises.” Eddie shrugged, causing his body to float in a new direction.

Richie laughed, looking Eddie up and down salaciously.

“Yeah, I guess you are.”

Richie’s eyes bounced back to Eddie’s underwear, which had become transparent in the water. Not so much that Richie could see everything, but enough to cause a stirring in his stomach.

Richie was contemplating whether to tell Eddie when the aforementioned interrupted his train of thought.

“You know, this isn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. The water’s cool, the heat isn’t stifling like it is in the daytime, and the view…” Eddie trailed off, staring up at the stars that blanketed the sky.

“Yeah… the view is beautiful.” Richie agreed, gaze fixed on Eddie.

“And I actually don’t even mind that I’m in my underwear.” Eddie added after some moments. “I thought it’d bother me more but now that I’ve done it, I feel good, actually.”

“The build up is almost always worse than the outcome.” Richie noted, laying back in the water and letting himself float alongside Eddie. “Once I learned that, the world felt a lot less daunting.”

Eddie hummed, thinking back to all the fear that’d been instilled in him growing up. It had made the world seem dangerous, new experiences never worth exploring. Staying in his bubble had kept him safe, but at what cost? How much had he been missing out on? Fear had been driving him for most of his life.

Richie’s words held true, Eddie’s mind had always been his own worst enemy.

“I admire you for that.” Eddie voiced quietly, as if it was a secret.

“Admire _yourself_. You can do anything I can.”

“I don’t know how.” Eddie whispered after a drawl of silence.

Their bodies bumped as they floated into each other. Richie chose that moment to right himself, pulling Eddie up with him.

“I’ll teach you.” Richie offered.

His hands rested on Eddie’s waist just below the water, thumbs pressed to Eddie’s hip bones. They’d found themselves mere inches apart, close enough to make Eddie’s breath catch.

“Okay.” Eddie agreed, a giddy smile creeping up his features.

 

A moan caught their attention, breaking them out of their own little world. They turned to search for the source of the sound, quickly finding it sitting across from them.

Stan was perched on the edge of the pool, parted legs dipped into the water below where Bill stood between them, sucking him off with slow bobs of his head. Stan was twisted to the side where Mike kneeled beside him, their lips locked feverishly.

“Oh my god.” Eddie said, his initial horror subsided by the absurdity of the situation. His lifelong best friend was really getting head from his co-worker and making out with his manager _right_ in front of him.

“Is he always this good at seducing people?” Richie asked.

“Yep. When Stan knows what he wants, he goes for it.”

“Huh. Bill swore he’d never have another threesome after the last time.” Richie added under his breath.

“The last time?” Eddie’s head whirled around.

Another succession of moans, these ones breathier and higher pitched, had them reeling once again.

The new ones belonged to Beverly, who was currently pinned up against the wall of the pool as Ben’s hips pistoned back and forth. Eddie couldn’t quite tell, given that their lower bodies were submerged in water, but the steady pace of Ben’s movements were enough to confirm the suspected activities.

“Wow, what do they put in this pool at night?” Richie joked, cupping his hands under water and bringing them up into the air, letting drops trickle through his fingers.

Eddie’s brain finally caught up with what was happening, and he jolted in his spot.

“Ugh, there’s probably _juices_ in the water now!” Eddie clamored for the edge of the pool, lifting himself up and on to safer ground as quickly as he could.

“Dude, ‘juices’? Please don’t call them that ever again.” Richie scolded with fake seriousness.

“Whatever you call it, it’s _gross_.” Eddie lamented. “I need a shower.”

Richie’s chest deflated, not wanting the night to be over yet. He was just getting to know Eddie, and so far, he really liked the little spitfire.

“Is your bathroom just as small as Bill’s?” Richie asked suddenly.

“Yeah, probably. I think all the employees have the same sized living quarters.”

“Damn, the bathtub in there is tiny. If you want, you can wash off in my room. We’ve got a Jacuzzi tub in ours.”

The offer hung in the air between them until yet _another_ moan disrupted them for the third time.

“Jesus christ, let’s go.” Eddie pushed himself up off the ground, ushering Richie to follow him. They grabbed their clothes, pulling them over-top of wet skin hurriedly. Eddie led them to the set of doors they’d entered through, using the keys Mike had left nearby to unlock them. He left the keys behind, flicking the lock back on so as the door shut behind them it secured the privacy of the others.

It was silent as Richie led Eddie up to his room. Tense, but not in an uncomfortable way. Eddie could feel the thrumming of an energy he couldn’t yet pinpoint. He wasn’t sure if it was the result of his imagination, spurred on by the scene they’d just left, or if Richie felt it too.

But as Richie unlocked his door and welcomed Eddie inside with a palm on his back, he found himself hoping it was the latter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, the highly anticipated meeting. I hope it lived up to everyone's expectations! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to fit smut into this chapter. It was already nearing 5K and I want to keep the chapters vaguely around the same length. But you know what that means... Chap 5 is gonna be all about the spice. ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello babies! I'm so sorry it's taken me a month to get this new chapter out to you, it turned into a bit of a monster, ending off at just over 7K. Most of it is smut, so I hope this helps you guys get that fix you've been waiting for!

Richie’s room was giant. Not quite a suite, but a definite upgrade from the shoe-box employees were made to live in. Eddie supposed it made sense, leave the nicer rooms to the paying customers, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit bitter as he looked around the immaculate space. There were two king size beds made up with enough pillows to drown a person. The storage in the room was abundant, more than any person on vacation would ever need. Two standalone closets along with the built-in closet when you first entered the room, two dressers, a trunk at the foot of each bed, and two mini fridges that seemed to be stocked with a wide array of beverages. Above the mini fridge sat a basket of snacks, which to Eddie’s surprise, had been thoroughly picked through.

“You have to pay for these, you know.” Eddie said lightheartedly, picking up a chocolate bar from the collection.

“What!?” Richie stopped in his tracks.

“Yeah, they chalk the prices up way high and then flaunt the stuff right in front of you. That’s how they getcha.” Eddie put the chocolate bar back down, searching the area for the menu for the snack bar, and finding it tucked under the basket out of sight. He handed it over to Richie before he continued walking around the living space.

He could hear Richie mumbling things under his breath as he read through the menu, no doubt trying to tally up how much money he’d accidentally spent on what he’d thought were free snacks. Eddie had to fight back a smile, finding the whole thing far too endearing.

He traced his fingers along a row of clothes hanging in one of the closets, the doors having been left open.

“Someone’s really into dressing for the occasion.” He noted, pulling out a particularly ghastly Hawaiian shirt among the fifteen that were displayed.

“Would it scare you off if I said I dress like that all the time, and not just when on vacation?” Richie asked, placing the menu back down on the snack basket as he walked over to Eddie.

“Yes.” Eddie declared.

“Then they’re Beverly’s.” Richie nodded finitely.

Eddie couldn’t help but giggle, which seemed to spur on Richie’s own.

“Come on, you probably wanna wash off. Plus, I wanna flaunt how much better my bathroom is than yours.” Richie joked, leading Eddie towards the bathroom.

Eddie set the shirt down on the bed closest to the door which led into a stark white tiled bathroom with wicker accents. Off to one side was a walk-in shower, off to the other, the Jacuzzi bath Richie had raved about.

Sure enough, it was huge. The frame was lined with various products, some of which Eddie couldn’t even make out from where he was standing.

“Beverly really likes baths, so we’ve got bubble bath, bath oils, bath bombs, you name it she probably has it. Feel free to use anything you want.”

Richie traipsed over to the bathtub and bent down to start the water. Eddie couldn’t help but admire his ass from this angle, a heart shaped wet spot accenting the area where Richie’s wet skin had dampened the denim. That’s when Eddie remembered the state of their clothes.

“Crap, I should have grabbed a change of clothes before we came up here. These are too wet to put back on.” Eddie emphasized his point by pulling his shirt away from his torso, the fabric moving stiffly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll leave you something to wear outside the door.”

Eddie flushed at the idea of wearing Richie’s clothing, but nodded anyway.

 

Within minutes, Eddie was submerged in the warm water, tinted purple by the bath bomb he’d chosen and filled with bubbles from the bubble bath he’d added last minute.

Outside the door he could hear the faint sound of music, nothing he recognized, but catchy enough to have him tapping along happily.

Another few minutes passed before Eddie decided to try the jets. That was, after all, the whole appeal of a Jacuzzi tub. He searched for the button for longer than he’d like to admit, finally finding it right under the faucet. One press had the water around him rumbling to life and Eddie couldn’t help but let out an exited little shriek.

He let himself sit back and close his eyes, getting lost in his mind. The sound of the motor that powered the jets drowned out the music from the other room, but Eddie’s mind was still on it. He imagined himself dancing with Richie, letting him spin Eddie around the room with no care for how silly they looked. Their hair would be wild, clothes disheveled, each other’s company the only thing they care about. Eddie thinks Richie could be the type of person he let himself go around.

The feeling of bubbles tickling his face caused him to open his eyes, and he quickly shot up as he took in the sight around him. Somehow the bubbles had grown about three times in size since he let his mind wander off. He parted some of the foam to reach for the button, turning the jets off swiftly and pulling the bath plug at the same time.

Eddie felt dumb, not having realized that the jets would rouse the bubble bath he’d added, but he also couldn’t help but laugh. He found himself in a near-stranger’s bathroom, covered head to toe in purple bubbles, and nearly flooding the resort he worked at.

Normally this would be the kind of thing to cause Eddie to spiral into a panic attack, but surprisingly he felt calm. He wondered if Richie was rubbing off on him already.

 

Eddie hoisted himself out of the bathtub, stepping on to the fluffy bathmat and grabbing the towel to the left of him, using it to dry off before wrapping it around his hips.

He walked over to the mirror, wiping away the steam collected on the surface and staring at a distorted version of himself. He felt better after a bath, but he looked worse. All the care that had gone into his hair earlier that evening was gone, and left was a dripping stringy mess. Eddie grabbed one of the hand towels from the counter and started drying it, furiously trying to get it to do anything other than what it was currently doing.

After getting as much moisture out of it as possible, Eddie chanced another glance up at his reflection and deflated. Without his hair products, he was left with a fluffy mess. His natural waves were starting to form and the volume his hair was achieving was award-winning, but not in the good way.

He sighed, resigning himself to looking like a wet dog, and headed for the door. He pulled it open, peaking out and seeing no sign of Richie. What he did see, however, were the clothes Richie had left out for him. He quickly gathered them before disappearing back inside the bathroom.

 

“Ha ha, very funny.” Eddie drawled as he re-entered the room.

Richie was laying on one of the beds, arms behind his head as he listened to the same band Eddie had heard in the bathroom. At the sight of Eddie, he hopped up, swiveling around to hang his legs off the bed and give Eddie a proper look.

“I think it suits you.”

Richie had left Eddie a pair of sweatpants to wear, which were rolled up about 5 times at the waist and still just barely fit him. They pooled around his ankles and if he wasn’t careful, they’d slip right down his legs. But on top, Richie had picked the exact shirt Eddie had been eyeing before.

However, the loud Hawaiian pattern did distract from his hair, so Eddie couldn’t complain too much.

Richie, on the other hand, had also opted to change into sweatpants. His, in contrast, hung low on his hips and framed his entirely bare torso.

“Cute hair, by the way.” Richie commented.

Okay, so maybe the shirt wasn’t doing its job.

“Shut up.” Eddie grumbled as he joined Richie up on the bed.

“No, I’m being serious. I like it like this.” Richie turned his body towards Eddie, hiking one knee up on the bed so he could shuffle closer.

Eddie watched closely as Richie raised his hand and ran it through Eddie’s hair, like it was a completely natural inflection.

Eddie held his breath as Richie seemed to pet through his locks.

“Soft.” Richie hummed, finally pulling away.

Eddie couldn’t stop staring at Richie’s face, which he’d once again found himself so close to. Richie was hard to read. Eddie couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and he wasn’t prepared to assess his own thoughts about their situation, so he turned away, forcing himself up off the bed.

He feigned interest in the TV, strolling over and grabbing the remote perched on the table nearby.

“So, have you guys scoped out the range of this thing?” Eddie asked, turning the power on.

The TV roared to life, filling the room with noise which Eddie quickly muted with an embarrassed apology.

“Yeah, you have to pay for most of the good channels.” Richie shrugged, reverting to his previous position on the bed.

Eddie fiddled with the remote, unsure of what to say. Thankfully, Richie was consistently the more talkative one, and filled in the silence.

“Do you wanna watch a movie?”

“Won’t that cost money?” Eddie asked, immediately kicking himself for possibly implying he wasn’t interested.

“Yeah, but it’s fine. Worth it.” Richie sent him a warm smile and Eddie melted.

“Okay.”

Eddie walked back over to Richie, hesitantly joining him on the bed. Richie seemed so relaxed, Eddie couldn’t imagine his heart could possibly be beating as fast as his own. The close contact left Eddie’s skin buzzing, and when Richie’s fingers grazed his as he passed off the remote, he swore he saw sparks.

Eddie forced himself to look forward, gluing his eyes to the TV as he watched Richie’s maneuvers bring them to the movie selection.

The options were listed by categories: Romantic Comedy, Horror, Action, Drama, Thriller, _Adult_ -

Woah hold on. Adult? As in…

“Hey, they’ve got porn on this thing!” Richie shrieked excitedly, finding humor in the situation as opposed to the stifling heat Eddie was currently experiencing.

He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the highlighted selection. Adult content. Porn. Actual full-length movie porn. Obviously, Eddie had watched porn before, but never this kind of porn, and never while sitting in bed with another man who he was wildly attracted to and had seen naked before.

“What do you say Eddie, should we give it a look? Find ourselves a steamy porno to settle down to?” Richie’s tone was teasing, no real suggestion behind it. But still, Eddie responded immediately.

“Let’s do it.”

“W-wait what?” Richie faltered, sitting up as he stared at Eddie’s profile.

“Let’s do it. What, you chicken?” Eddie’s mouth hitched up at one side, a small smile peaking through.

“No, I just, this doesn’t seem like your thing.”

“It’s not.” Eddie admitted. “But nothing about tonight has been ‘my thing’. Consider this another step forward in my experiment. Didn’t you say you were going to guide me through it?” Eddie cocked his eyebrow challengingly.

Richie seemed to take the bait, sniffing loudly as he leaned back against the pillows.

“Yeah, of course. Well, pick your poison I guess.”

On screen Richie clicked through to the adult section which presented them with another three choices.

Gay, Straight, Lesbian.

The two shared a charged glance, the air suddenly thicker.

“Uhm, any preferences?” Eddie asked, the realization hitting him that he didn’t even know Richie’s sexuality.

Jesus, Kaspbrak, this whole time you’ve been getting giggly for a guy who might not even be into guys.

“Nope, up to you.” Richie answered, not giving Eddie any help.

“Well, uh, I’m gay so… Anything other than girl-on-girl I guess. Though, fair warning, if you choose straight porn I’ll be staring exclusively at the man.”

Eddie counted the seconds before Richie answered.

“Girl-on-girl isn’t all that and straight porn is boring and repetitive. In my humble opinion, the gays always win out.”

Eddie chanced a glance over to Richie who was wearing a playful expression.

“Are you, uh-”

“Gay?” Richie supplied.

Eddie nodded.

“Nah.”

Eddie’s heart took a nose-dive.

“Bisexual.”

Eddie’s heart _soared_.

He tried to fake nonchalance, uttering a ‘cool, cool’ before leaning back against the pillow and mimicking Richie’s position.

“How can anyone be straight when guys are so cute?” Richie drawled. Eddie didn’t miss how Richie’s eyes flickered over him as the worlds left his mouth, before he righted his gaze back to the tv where he was making the selection.

The screen lit up with a list of titles, all just as lewd as you’d expect. Eddie’s face began to heat up, Richie’s narration only making it worse.

“ **Pledging to Paddling: Fraternity hunks haze young twinks.** ”

Eddie’s brought a hand up to his face, finding it hot to the touch. He chanced a look at his reflection in the standing mirror across the room, finding it just as red as he’d feared. He casually shifted his arm, leaning his head into his palm and trying to cover as much of his face from Richie’s view as possible.

Richie continued reading, completely unaware of Eddie’s minor meltdown beside him.

“ **Suck and Fuck: Unsuspecting teen finds himself among a clan of vampires, whose only desires are to feed and fuck.** What do you say Eddie, you into the fantasy shit?”

Eddie stared straight ahead.

“Uhhh… not… really?”

“Mmm, so not a fan of biting.” Richie noted.

“I didn’t say that.” Eddie muttered, before moving the hand from his cheek to clap it over his mouth. Where had his filter suddenly gone off to?

Richie studied his face, seeing the crimson flush that had engulfed Eddie’s tan skin.

“Cute, you’re blushing.” Richie extended his hand, thumbing at Eddie’s cheek for a moment. Eddie wanted to lean into the touch, but he was frozen.

“All right, Eddie Spaghetti,” Eddie cringed at the nickname but let it slide. “So, no hazing, no vampires, what _are_ you into?”

Eddie’s eyes went wide.

“I… I’m not sure.” Eddie admitted.

Richie seemed to be lost in his mind for a moment. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, a habit that made the skin concave slightly and highlight his already sharp cheekbones.

“Okay, how about we try something simple. **Nasty Neighborhood: Boy next door gets a surprise when his new neighbor comes to introduce himself with a special present.** How’s that sound?”

Eddie nodded his head apprehensively, eager to go along with whatever Richie picked as long as it would make this moment end.

“Gonna need more enthusiasm.”

Eddie’s brow furrowed. Why did Richie care what he thought?

Seemingly reading his mind, Richie answered his question.

“It’s no good if only one of us enjoys it.”

Eddie felt Richie’s sentiment might have had a double meaning, but he glazed over it too quickly for Eddie to analyze.

“Or we could always go with **Stuffed Twinkies: Two blond brothers get their asses rammed by beefy stud-** ”

“NO, NO, NEIGHBORS IS GOOD. LET’S STICK WITH THE NEIGHBORS.” Eddie shouted over Richie’s faux announcer voice.

He had the most charming smile gracing his features as he pressed the order button. It was contagious enough to transfer over to Eddie, despite the nervous curdle in his gut.

As the opening scene lit up the TV, Eddie immediately regretted choosing a film with only two actors. The opening credits were accompanied by small clips from the film, flickering past in beat to the music. Already Eddie could tell this was going to be much more intimate than if they’d chosen any of the other options.

He found himself subconsciously sinking lower into the bed, silently wishing he could be swallowed whole.

Meanwhile, Richie was also settling in, shifting his weight in a way that Eddie could swear left them sitting closer. Richie rested his farthest hand against his abdomen, bringing attention once again to his bare skin. His other hand landed inches from Eddie’s thigh, close enough that Eddie knew he’d be thinking about it the entire time they sat there.

The action began to unfold on screen, a smaller man with chestnut hair stepping out of the shower. The immediacy of nudity hit Eddie straight away. The man was flaccid and waxed bare, water droplets dotting his tan skin.

“He’s hot.” Richie mentioned.

Eddie nodded his agreement, unsure if Richie noticed.

The doorbell rang and the actor quickly wrapped a towel around his waist, sprinting across the house to answer it.

“He shouldn’t run on hardwood floors with wet feet.” Eddie noted automatically.

Richie’s mouth twitched in amusement, watching Eddie out of the corner of his eye.

In typical porn script predictability, neighbor introduces himself, boy next door’s towel falls, and suddenly they’re naked in the living room.

The actor who played the neighbor was much more of Eddie’s type. He was taller than the first actor, but not built quite like a hunk. He had generous muscle where it counted but mostly, he was lean. He had curly hair which he kept short on the sides and longer up top. Eddie found himself beginning to compare this guy’s hair to Richie’s, wishing the actor on screen had longer, fuller curls. Curls fit to have small hands wind through.

The actors began making out, feverish kisses that conveyed desire.

Eddie scrunched up his nose as he watched their tongues slither together. He’d never been a fan of kissing with tongue, it seemed too wet, too messy, too intimate. Sure, he’d had boyfriends in the past who had tried to introduce it, but he’d always shut it down quickly. He wondered why everyone always made it seem so titillating.

 

They watched for another few minutes. Things moved fast; clothing was dropped, and parts were groped. The actors found themselves on the couch in positions that Eddie couldn’t imagine could possibly be comfortable.

Then the neighbor spread his partner’s cheeks and gave one firm sweep of his tongue right against the man’s asshole.

“No one actually does this stuff in real life.” Eddie crossed his arms stubbornly, watching the screen with a mixture of arousal and frustration.

“What do you mean?” Richie asked, turning to face Eddie.

“Like, rimming.” Eddie gestured towards the screen. “Or titty fucking, foot jobs, or- or face sitting!? How is someone supposed to breathe through that!? It’s all just manufactured by porn companies to make sex look better than it actually is.”

Eddie could feel Richie staring at him, but now that Eddie was riled up it was easier to ignore. He was being reminded of why he never watched much porn. All it had done for him was get his hopes up only to realize reality wasn’t as good.

“It sounds to me like you’ve just had shitty sex.”

Richie’s blasé tone took Eddie by surprise. He whipped his head around, ready to defend himself, when he was met with nothing but openness.

“How many partners have you had?” Richie continued.

“Uh, two. One boyfriend in high school and one in college. Hooked up with a few others but it never went beyond heavy petting.”

Richie’s nostrils flared as he huffed out an enamored laugh at Eddie’s use of the words ‘heavy petting’.

“Okay, so high school, you were what… sixteen, seventeen maybe?” Richie guessed.

“Sixteen, yeah.”

“So, the sex couldn’t have been all that good. Two kids fumbling around in the sheets trying to figure out each other’s bodies when they barely know their own; it’s usually a recipe for disaster. Or at least, mediocre sex.”

Eddie listened intently as Richie continued.

“College can be better, but it depends on who you’re with. Tell me about college boyfriend.”

Eddie cleared his throat, suddenly feeling vulnerable laying himself out like this.

“He was nice.” Eddie shrugged. “We dated for seven months.”

“How was the sex?” Richie asked, getting to the point.

“It was fine. I mean, he was good, I-I think?”

Richie chuckled lightly. “Doesn’t sound like it was award winning.”

“I mean, I guess we both had our hang-ups. I didn’t like French kissing and he didn’t like to… uh, _finger me_.” Eddie’s voice dropped to merely a whisper on the last few words.

“Okay, we’re gonna circle back to that first part in a bit, but _please_ don’t tell me he fucked you without prepping you first.” Richie pleaded, genuine worry evident in his features.

“No, no I just, he uh, he always made me do it. He thought it was gross.”

Richie whistled. “Wow… as hot as the thought of you fingering yourself is, and believe me, I’ll be tucking that mental image away for lonely nights, you deserved someone who isn’t going to make you feel _gross_.” Richie ended by repeating the word Eddie had chosen to use.

Eddie couldn’t believe Richie had so blatantly mentioned his arousal at the idea of Eddie in such an intimate position. He’d thrown it in there like it was common knowledge, even though this thing between them that Eddie had felt growing all night had yet to be discussed.

“Those things,” Richie nodded back towards the TV. “are all very real things that very real people do. You just have to find someone willing to drive you wild, then nothing is off-limits.”

Eddie tried to swallow around the dryness in his throat.

“For example, you said you didn’t like French kissing, right?”

Eddie confirmed with a nod.

“Find the right person and you’ll like it. A good partner can make your inhibitions melt away.”

Eddie twiddled his thumbs, chewing his lip to keep his words from tumbling over. He wanted to ask Richie to show him, _teach him_ , like he’d promised earlier that night.

Things between them had gone silent, the only sound in the room echoing from the TV. The sound of skin slapping against each other, gruff moans and high-pitched pleading, muffled only by the rushing of Eddie’s pulse in his ears.

Richie held his stare. Eddie was hyper aware of how close they’d gotten, unsure of when it happened, but now the only thing in his field of vision were deep blue oceans.

“Can I try something?” Richie asked, breaking through the intensity with a question that seemed to quiver.

Eddie nodded, not trusting his voice.

“Tell me if you want me to stop.” Richie whispered as he moved closer, their mouths now breaths apart. Eddie’s heart was chiseling away at his rib cage with every beat.

The second their lips touched Eddie began to melt. He didn’t mean to lean into Richie, to put all his weight in the other man’s hold, but it’d been inevitable. In all his years, Eddie couldn’t recollect a single time he’d been this attracted to someone he hooked up with. The feeling was explosive.

Richie’s arm came to lock securely around Eddie’s waist, pulling him in close and keeping him in place. His other hand slithered up Eddie’s neck, resting against his face. They continued like that for a while, Eddie getting so lost in Richie that he’d forgotten the situation all together. That is, until Richie’s thumb pulled Eddie’s jaw lower, opening his mouth and leaving him pliant for Richie’s next move.

Slowly, Richie licked into Eddie’s mouth. He traced the curves of Eddie’s lips, careful not to dive too deep too soon. Eddie’s mind and body were in a battle for the right to react. His mind was shouting at him, reminding him how filthy and messy this was, but his body was shielding every comment with a pulse of its own. A pulse that lead right down to Eddie’s groin.

Eddie pulled away bashfully, unable to get very far with Richie’s grip on him.

Richie seemed ready to apologize, the words about to leave his mouth when Eddie interrupted him.

“I don’t know how to do this.” He admitted.

Richie regarded him with a soft expression, using the same thumb that had been holding Eddie’s jaw open to stroke his cheek.

"Don't fight with it. Think of it as... flirting."

Eddie giggled suddenly. "Flirt with my tongue?"

“Yeah. Tease me.” Richie’s voice dropped along with his eyes, which locked on to Eddie’s lips hungrily.

“Okay…” Eddie answered.

Richie reconnected their mouths. The first connection of their tongues felt odd. Not bad, certainly not the ‘gross’ sensation Eddie had been expecting, but not life changing.

The life changing moment came when Richie’s moan reverberated into Eddie’s throat, sending shocks down his spine and causing goosebumps to litter his skin.

Eddie pulled Richie closer, his maneuver becoming more aggressive. Just like Richie had said, he made sure not to fight Richie for dominance, instead letting him guide their movements. At their new pace, with the adrenaline running through Eddie’s veins, he began understanding why people liked doing this.

Richie’s tongue was warm and soft, gliding against his own in a way that made Eddie’s toes curl. Every so often Richie would bite on Eddie’s lower lip, causing Eddie to whimper out a noise he’d never heard himself make before.

Eddie was unaware of the fact that his hips had began moving on their own, grinding himself into Richie. The half-chub he’d been sporting since they’d started their movie had grown into something much harder to hide, especially when it was pressing up against Richie’s own matching erection.

When Richie switched to nibbling on his lip again, Eddie panted out a plea.

“Teach me something else.”

“Hmm?” Richie moved to Eddie’s neck, giving him room to talk.

“You taught me how to kiss, now teach me something else. Show me what I’ve been missing.”

Richie growled against the juncture of Eddie’s neck, moving swiftly to flip Eddie on his back.

“Are you sure?” Richie asked through heavy breaths from where he sat above Eddie’s lap.

“Yes. _Please_.” Eddie begged, having no willpower left to try and mask his desperation.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.” Richie breathed before pulling the shirt off Eddie’s body, followed by his sweatpants. Eddie hadn’t been wearing any boxers, leaving him bare under Richie’s will.

Eddie instinctively wanted to cover up but felt pinned in place by Richie’s gaze.

“I knew you’d have a gorgeous cock.” Richie murmured, causing Eddie’s cheeks to flush along with his dick.

Richie grazed his fingers down Eddie’s chest, leaving light tingles in their wake. They paused when they reached the juncture of Eddie’s hips.

“You know, as much as I want you in my mouth, I had something else in mind.”

Eddie’s quizzical look was wiped off his face as Richie flipped him again, this time on to his stomach. Eddie couldn’t help but be affected by how easily Richie was able to manhandle him, adjusting his lithe body into whatever position Richie wanted.

Richie’s next movements felt like they happened in slow motion. Two large hands cupped Eddie’s ass cheeks, admiring the flesh with a firm grope before pulling them apart to reveal Eddie’s hole. Then Eddie felt something distinctly wet press against him, causing him to flinch away at the unfamiliar feeling.

“Richie!” Eddie yelled in surprise.

“So pink, so pretty.” Was all he got in response.

“Richie you shouldn’t-”

“Why not?”

“Isn’t it, like… gross?”

“You keep using that word, but all I see when I look at you is euphoria.”

Eddie couldn’t think of a worthy rebuttal, and he was starting to wonder why he wanted to argue anyway.

“Are you clean?” Richie asked.

“Yeah, I cleaned myself out a few hours ago.”

“Cool. Does it feel good?”

“…Yes.” Eddie admitted, letting himself relax into the bedding.

“Then I don’t see a problem.” Richie concluded.

Eddie thought for a moment, weighing the words in his head. Richie was right, the only problem were Eddie’s own hang-ups.

As a signal to continue, Eddie propped himself up on his knees, leaving his top half laying against the mattress so his ass was completely at Richie’s mercy.

“You tell me if at any point this doesn’t feel good anymore and I’ll stop. Deal?” Richie asked, his breath fanning over Eddie’s wet hole and causing it to flutter.

Eddie agreed and then Richie was diving back in, skilled tongue working in ways Eddie never could have conceived were possible.

He found himself grinding himself back against Richie’s face, once again no longer in control of his movements. Richie’s tongue swirled around his hole, stiffening to poke inside, only to slip back out and start all over again. It was agonizing, too much and too little all at once.

Eddie gripped the sheets around him tightly, wanting nothing more than to thread his fingers through thick curls and _pull_.

“Richie.” He moaned into the pillows beneath his head. “More, _please_.”

Richie kissed his hole before pulling away, entering Eddie’s view as he rummaged through his nightstand for something.

Eddie was grateful for the opportunity to catch his breath. He watched Richie’s profile, slick with a sheen of spit around his mouth and sweat upon his brow, and thought to himself that he might be the most beautiful man Eddie had ever seen.

It didn’t take long for Richie to procure a bottle of lube, which immediately set all of Eddie’s nerves alight. This was really happening; he was really going to get fucked by Richie.

Richie began righting himself, ready to reposition himself behind Eddie, when Eddie’s hands flew out to stop him.

Richie looked down at him softly, a questioning smile in his eyes.

“I… before you get back to it… could I… see you?” Eddie asked, suddenly shy despite the fact that Richie willingly paraded himself around nude on a daily basis.

Richie chuckled lowly, a knowing smirk creeping up his features. He was going to milk this, they both knew it, but Eddie wasn’t about to stop him.

Eddie let himself trace the lines of Richie’s body, really indulging in the ability to stare without fear of being caught. He followed Richie’s hands as they slowly ran down his torso, the move not dissimilar to the things they’d seen on screen earlier.

Richie reached his happy trail; the happy trail that Eddie had thought about every day since he’d first seen it, had imagined his nose pressed into those fine hairs as Richie choked him on his cock. He watched as Richie let the palm of his hand follow the trail right down to the swell in his sweatpants.

He grasped himself lewdly, humping into his hand as he indulged in feeling himself up. Eddie felt like he was watching something private, only, Richie’s eyes were set on him. Eddie was _part_ of this private affair.

Richie finally gave in to his own pleasure, pulling his sweatpants down along with his boxers and letting them pool at his knees where he knelt on the bed. His hand returned to his cock as quickly as it had left. No longer hindered by any barriers, he was able to fully stroke himself.

And boy was Eddie feeling overwhelmed. If Richie had been intimidating flaccid, erect he was Mt. Everest.

“You want this, baby boy?” Richie asked, holding his cock at the base and shaking it enticingly at Eddie.

Eddie’s eyes were wide as saucers, the dirty talk along with the pet-name hitting a button inside Eddie that he hadn’t known was there.

On shaky arms, Eddie crawled the few inches across the bed until he was face to face with Richie’s cock, staring it down like a predator trying to intimidate its prey. It seemed to weep at its head, and Eddie counted that as a victory.

Eddie darted out his tongue experimentally, licking up the bead of pre-cum and letting the taste seep into his tongue. He’d given blowjobs before, he knew his way around a dick, but he’d never tackled something quite so… big, before.

He heard the cap on the lube pop open above him but ignored it in favor of lavishing the cock before him. It was so pretty; smooth and paler than Eddie’s own skin where he grasped at its underside with gentle fingers. He cradled it delicately, examining its faint blue veins that strained to attention.

Richie bent over Eddie’s body and began teasing a lubed finger around his hole, his other hand petting the hair out of Eddie’s face as he continued to marvel at the new sight before him.

Eddie gulped loudly, taking the plunge and engulfing as much of Richie’s length as he could before his throat constricted. He got about half way down before having to pull back, breathing heavily as his airway was cleared from the intrusion.

Eddie’s not sure when Richie managed to slip a finger inside him, but now he was distinctly aware of it wiggling around and pressing up against a particularly delicious spot within him.

A moan slipped from Eddie’s lips before he preoccupied them with Richie’s cock once again, his desire increasing tenfold from the stimulation Richie was giving him.

It took a while for Eddie to relax his throat enough to take Richie in all the way, likewise, it took Richie a while to get Eddie stretched enough to take three fingers. Once they were both there, however, neither wanted to stop what they were doing.

Spit was dripping down Eddie’s chin as he bobbed his head up and down Richie’s girth, a slurping noise accompanying him when he popped off the top to catch his breath once again.

Richie’s fingers were cramping from their continued assault on Eddie’s prostate, but he couldn’t care less when it elicited such beautiful noises from the boy in question.

“Don’t know if I’d rather cum in your mouth, or this pretty little ass of yours.”

“Mouth- mouth next time?” Eddie stuttered out, already praying there _would_ be a _next time_.

Richie seemed to like that answer, retracting his fingers with a schlick and maneuvering Eddie up to his level with a single finger under his chin.

“You promise?” Richie asked with a sly smile. Eddie could sense something akin to shyness hiding behind his bravado.

Eddie nodded, locking in the guarantee that they would do this again. They weren’t even done with the first time and Eddie was already getting goose bumps at the thought of a second.

Richie laid down on the bed, encouraging Eddie to lay down parallel to him so his back was flush to Richie’s chest. It felt unfamiliar to face away from the person he was about to have sex with, a bit odd if Eddie were being honest, but then Richie began to connect them in other ways.

His lips ghosted against Eddie’s neck down to the juncture of his shoulder, doing the same with his fingers along Eddie’s stomach. Light touches that mapped out patterns for Eddie to follow with his attention while Richie lined himself up behind him.

“Are you ready?” Richie’s voice echoed against the shell of Eddie’s ear.

Eddie confirmed with a choked out ‘yes’ and then Richie was pushing in.

It was unlike anything Eddie had ever felt before. Not by his own fingers, not by any of his partners, not by the single sex toy he owned in college. This was something entirely new.

Richie filled him up perfectly, melding to every new curve and divot. He was hot too, an odd sensation, but a pleasant one, arousing even. His body heat warmed Eddie up from the inside out. Eddie could feel a stretch from the shift of fingers to cock, and it only aided to remind Eddie just how big Richie actually was. Eddie had never considered himself much of a size queen before, but Richie might just spoil him for anyone else.

“You doing okay?” Richie asked quietly as he finally bottomed out.

Eddie nodded, biting his lip as his head began to empty of any coherent thoughts.

Richie lied back slightly, pulling Eddie with him so he was resting a bit more against Richie’s body rather than on his side. In this position it took less effort for Eddie to crane his neck when Richie locked their lips together.

Richie began moving, beginning with slow drags to let Eddie get acclimated to the stretch. He distracted him from the slight burn with talented tricks of his tongue.

Soon Eddie began getting impatient. The rhythm was nice, but he wanted more. _Needed_ more. He began pushing his hips back to meet Richie every thrust.

Richie reached under Eddie’s leg and hiked it up, opening him up wider. In the new position Eddie could feel Richie even deeper; nearly stirring into his gut. The feeling had Eddie dangerously close to drooling.

When Eddie’s hips began moving faster, so did Richie’s. He let Eddie set the pace and met him thrust for thrust. As Eddie became more frantic, as did Richie.

“F-f-fuc-ck.” Eddie stuttered out while Richie rammed into him, his voice coarse and breathy. His head was spinning, and when he closed his eyes, he could see stars. Never had he been fucked like this.

“So warm, so tight- Want you on the table- Finger you open all day- Your soft hair-” Richie had began babbling disconnected thoughts, only vocalizing snippets of the visuals running through his mind.

Eddie could feel the familiar coil beginning to build in his belly, the tightening in his balls a sure sign that he was approaching his peak. He reached for his dick, ready to help himself over the edge, when a hand stopped him

“Want you to cum from just my cock.” Richie moaned, holding Eddie’s hand back.

Eddie wanted to scoff. That was impossible, right? People can’t actually cum just from prostate stimulation… that was just a myth. There was no way he was going to cum unless he got a hand on him.

Eddie whined, the pressure building with no release in sight.

“Do you trust me?” Richie asked, his voice soothing to Eddie’s heightened nerves.

Eddie nodded frantically, hoping his compliance would earn him some relief.

Richie intertwined their fingers, placing their hands on Eddie’s lower belly and pushing lightly. Eddie could almost swear he felt Richie moving inside of him.

“Richie, please.” Eddie begged, tears springing to his eyes. The coil inside him was burning now, sending flames up his spine and down his neglected cock. “Need to cum.” He added in a whine.

“Go ahead.” Richie responded, his voice cocky in a way that both aroused and infuriated Eddie. He tried to pull his hand out of Richie’s grasp, but he held tight.

Eddie’s tears wet his ruddy cheeks, his pants coming out in quick succession between wanton moans.

“You can cum any time you want.”

“No, I can’t-”

“Yes, you _can_.”

“I need to-”

“Baby, I’ve got you; I promise.”

The repeated use of the pet-name swam right through Eddie’s head and down through his body, building charge as it reached his core and finally ignited him.

Eddie’s entire form tensed as he came, the feeling washing over him in waves that seemed never ending. He could feel himself releasing on to his chest, could feel the unrelenting movement within him, could feel warm breath against his neck, but it was all drowned out by the overpowering pleasure that filled him.

He’s not sure if he was loud or quiet, if his eyes were open or closed. He believed he might have left this plane of existence for a moment, floated through the abyss where nothing existed except bliss and contentment.

But he couldn’t live there forever, and eventually he floated back down into the gentle caress of Richie’s skin. His mind still felt hazy, but he was becoming aware of a new sensation within him.

“Did you cum in me?” Eddie asked blissfully.

“Yes…?” Richie answered, a lilt at the end that made it sound like a question, as if he was suddenly unsure if he had been supposed to pull out.

Eddie found himself surprisingly elated at the idea of being filled with Richie’s cum; as if they were somehow more connected because of it. He knew regular Eddie would be grossed out by that prospect, but fucked-out Eddie was absolutely enamored.

“Good.” Eddie decided aloud, letting Richie know he was happy with the outcome.

Richie laughed lightly, leaning forward to kiss Eddie’s temple as he slipped out of him slowly.

Eddie was so filled with excited energy he didn’t even notice Richie moving behind him. Now that he’d had his first mind-blowing orgasm, all he could think about was the next.

“Next time I’m gonna eat YOU out.” Eddie declared, blissfully unaware of how Richie all but stuttered to a halt at his sudden declaration. “And we should try bondage. Maybe I’d be in to that, who knows, I’ve never tried it! Oh! And we should try face sitting, since, you know, apparently that’s _actually_ a thing. And maybe some time I can fuck you, if you’re into that. I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to be a top.”

Richie just stared at Eddie as he rambled off about all the things he wanted to try. With Richie. Eddie wanted to do this a second time, and by the sounds of it, many times after that. Despite their little exchange that had suggested a round two, Richie had assumed that was just a mid-coitus promise. There was no way someone as handsome and smart and quick-witted and bright as Eddie would want to sleep with him on a consistent basis.

But… apparently, he did. And Richie would be an idiot to turn him down. If Eddie wanted Richie to be his sex guru, well then Richie would be the best damn sex guru there was.

“Yes.” Richie blurted out, unsure of what he was even saying ‘yes’ to. He’d interrupted Eddie talking about shower sex and now the boy was gazing at him with those big doe-eyes that Richie was already done for.

“Yes, to all of that.” Richie clarified, reaching a hand up and thumbing at Eddie’s pinkened cheek.

“I take it that was a little bit better than your average?” Richie asked, a coy smile accompanying his question.

Eddie giggled, slapping Richie playfully on the chest before settling down beside him, resting his head against Richie’s pec and letting himself be wrapped up in the warm arms that encircled him.

“Yeah, just a little bit.” Eddie joked back.

They laid in silence for a while, Eddie content to listen to Richie’s heartbeat while they both let the threat of sleep overcome them. It was just as Eddie was beginning to give in to his unconscious that he heard Richie’s gruff voice speak up again.

“So, have you ever been milked?”

“… like a cow?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there we go! They've done the deed! But of course, it can't just end there. More smut and fluff and ~drama~ to come. >:)

**Author's Note:**

> So I've had half of this story written for a couple months now, but was hesitant to post it until I finished because I have a tendency to drop my WIPs for months at a time. But since I've been doing so well at posting lately, I thought I'd put out what I've got so far and just keep my fingers crossed I can stick to some sort of schedule.
> 
> This idea was originally conceived with my lovely friend Jack! @jacksbrak on tumblr and @SevlinRipley on here. He has helped tremendously with this fic, and deserves recognition for being part of it's birth. <3


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